Overview
Black Bayou Reservoir is an roughly 800-acre water-supply and recreation lake on Black Bayou in Bossier Parish, about eight miles north of Shreveport near Benton. It was flooded in the late 1970s (reopened about 1980 after spillway work) by the Cypress Black Bayou Recreation and Water Conservation District, which also operates sister Cypress Bayou Lake just to the east. The project supports irrigation, municipal use, and recreation for the Bossier Parish community.
The reservoir averages about 10 feet deep and reaches near 20 feet toward the dam, with a relatively open basin and limited standing timber compared with classic cypress lakes. Shallower water lies toward the upper (northwest) end along the old Black Bayou channel, while the earthen dam and spillway sit on the south end across Parks Road from Cypress Bayou Lake.
Black Bayou is used heavily for skiing and open-water recreation as well as fishing for crappie, largemouth bass, and bream, with fisheries managed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Public access is available through district facilities and the nearby Cypress Recreation Park complex that serves both lakes.
Water levels are managed by the District around a pool stage of 185 feet above mean sea level, with a flowage easement extending to about 190.3 feet. Elevations respond to local rainfall and spillway operations rather than a large federal flood-control rule curve, so monitoring current lake levels helps with boating, skiing, and dock access on this compact Bossier Parish reservoir.
Current Conditions
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
- Active advisories1 active (Notice)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Black Bayou Reservoir (Bossier) is a 800-acre reservoir on the Black Bayou managed by Cypress Black Bayou Recreation & Water Conservation District.