Tyler Texas Online Caddo Lake in East Texas: location, maps, photos, fishing, things to do, and water levels



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.

Caddo Lake State Park

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. If on foot, enjoy a brisk walk on the park's 2.5 miles of trails.

The 500-acre park features 46 campsites, ranging from water only to full hookup sites. Historic two-to-six person cabins can also be rented; another option is screened shelters.

For more information on the park, located at 245 Park Road 2, Karnack, TX, phone 903.679.3351 and visit the Caddo Lake State Park website.


Scenes Around Caddo Lake State Park

Sign at the entrance to Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas Entrance area at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas
Map and kiosk at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas Boardwalk at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas
Cabin at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas Canoe trip into the swamps at Caddo Lake State Park in East Texas


More 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


Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge

On October 19, 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved the establishment of the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge on portions of the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant. The refuge purpose is the management, conservation, and protection of migratory birds and other fish and wildlife. This bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem provides essential habitat for a diversity of migratory and resident wildlife species in Texas.

The 8,416-acre Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (LHAAP) installation is located between State Highway 43 and Caddo Lake in Karnack, Harrison County, approximately 14 miles northeast of Marshall, and approximately 40 miles northwest of Shreveport, Louisiana. The Monsanto Chemical Company selected the site in December of 1941 to produce TNT. The Thiokol Chemical Corporation, awarded a contract in 1952 for producing solid-fuel rocket motors for the army, built a facility at Longhorn for that purpose between 1953 and 1955. Rocket motors of various kinds were produced at Longhorn until early 1971.

The site is in a rural area and operated from 1942 to 1997, historically manufacturing TNT, rocket motors and various pyrotechnic items. It also played an important role in the destruction of rocket engines as part of the agreement between the United States and Russia via the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Agreement in 1987. The Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant was listed as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List on August 30, 1990.

The Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge and the Caddo Lake Institute restored the old armory guard station to provide information and species photos to explain to the public why portions of Caddo Lake and the refuge are one of 26 sites in the United States to be recognized as “Wetlands of International Significance” under an international treaty signed by over 150 nations.

An auto tour offers a great all-season way to see wildlife and habitats in the Refuge. By using the car as a viewing blind, visitors can often see more wildlife than on foot.

The Refuge is located northeast of Marshall in Harrison County, just to east of Caddo Lake State Park. Read more about the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge at the FWS and phone 903.679.9143

More about the history of the Wildlife Refuge and Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant at KETK (September 22, 2023)

Map of the Refuge
Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge map in East Texas
Refuge Auto Tour Sign
Sign for the Auto Tour Route at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas
Swamp scene at the Refuge
Swamp scene at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas
Longhorn Ammunition Plant Ruins
Ruins of the Longhorn Ammunition Plant at the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in East Texas

East Texas lake at sunrise


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



Uncertain Texas ... close to Caddo Lake
City Limit - Pop 85
Uncertain, Texas city limits ... population 85
Uncertain Texas ... near Caddo Lake,
Karnack and Jefferson
Uncertain Texas ... close to Jefferson in Upper East Texas


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