Tyler Texas Online Caddo Lake in East Texas


Caddo Lake

Lakes in the East Texas Area

In East Texas, there are over 50 lakes offering a variety of outdoor sports for vacations or weekends. These lakes provide fishing, swimming, water skiing, houseboats, jet skis, sailing and other outdoor and hiking activities.

Within easy driving distance are lakes such as Toledo Bend Reservoir, Wright Patman, Lake Fork, Sam Rayburn, Lake Tawakoni, Lake Livingston and many others..

Click for a list and map of all East Texas lakes

Caddo Lake

Caddo Lake is a 25,400 acres lake and wetland on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas, and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana.

Caddo Lake in East Texas


Map showing the location of Caddo Lake in East Texas and north Louisiana
Map showing the location of Caddo Lakes

This lake was the only natural lake in Texas until it was artificially dammed in the early 1900s when oil was found and for flood control in 1914. A new dam replaced the old one in 1971.

Some of the cypress trees in the swamp are more than 400 years old. The average depth of the lake is 8 to 10 feet, with the deep water in the bayou averaging about 20 feet. The lake contains 71 species of fish, and it is especially good for crappie and largemouth and white bass.

The denseness of the swamp creates an inviting maze for paddlers in kayaks and canoes. On the Texas side, at Caddo Lake State Park, there are 10 kayak/canoe trails, with names like Hell's Half Acre, Cathedral Trail, Old Folks Playground and Turtle Shell Trail. The trails are marked, and maps are provided.

For more information on the park, located at 245 Park Road 2, Karnack, TX, phone 903.679.3351


Scenes Around Caddo Lake

Scene around Caddo Lake Scene around Caddo Lake
Scene around Caddo Lake Scene around Caddo Lake


Map of the Caddo Lake Area


East Texas lake at sunrise


Caddo Lake Water Level:
Conservation Pool Elevation is 168.5'
Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey



Nearby Jefferson, Texas

Captain Ron's Swamp Tours near Jefferson in East Texas

The City of Jefferson is the county seat of Marion County, Texas, north of Marshall and south of Linden. Nearby are the communities of Uncertain and Karnack.

It is located on U.S. Highway 59 and Texas Highway 49. The Jefferson Zip Code is 75657, and its Area Code is 903. Its population in 2020 is about 2,000 residents.

Jefferson became a port of entry into the Republic of Texas and then the State of Texas. It was a major shipping port for agricultural products, especially cotton. Obstructions were removed from Big Cypress Bayou in 1845, allowing steamboats to reach Jefferson from New Orleans. Jefferson’s "Golden Era" as a steamboat port lasted from 1845 until 1875.

Attractions and Things to Do in Jefferson

Today, Jefferson is a tourism center, with popular attractions including Jay Gould's railroad car, the Jefferson Historical Society Museum, Sterne Fountain, the Jefferson Carnegie Library, Excelsior House, and the bayous formed by Big Cypress Bayou located in and around the city.

A trip to Jefferson is a journey back through time to a bustling 19th century riverport. Jefferson is a great locale with antique shops lining the original brick streets, horse-drawn carriage tours, and boat trips down the bayous and around Caddo Lake.


Things to Do in Jefferson
Traveler reviews and photos at TripAdvisor

 

Hotel and B&B Information for Jefferson

Visitors to Jefferson can choose between a wide variety of excellent B&Bs and other lodging. Jefferson offers hotels and bed & breakfasts, including those listed and reviewed below at TripAdvisor.

Delta Street Inn

White Oak Manor Bed & Breakfast

Carriage House Bed & Breakfast

Other Jefferson Hotels and Bed & Breakfasts

TripAdvisor

Vacation Home Rentals in Jefferson

Planning a trip to Jefferson and need a vacation rental?

Find the best deal, compare prices, make reservations at TripAdvisor
and read what other travelers have to say about vacation rentals in the Jefferson area

Vacation home rentals near Jefferson in Upper East Texas Vacation home rentals near Jefferson in Upper East Texas
Jefferson Texas Vacation Home Rentals Vacation home rentals near Jefferson in Upper East Texas