Overview
John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Reservoir—usually called Grand Bayou—is a roughly 2,700-acre water-supply and recreation lake on Grand Bayou in Red River Parish near Coushatta in northwest Louisiana. The earthen dam was completed in the mid-1990s and is operated by the local Grand Bayou Reservoir District for municipal and industrial water supply with recreation as a major secondary use. Fisheries and periodic habitat drawdowns are coordinated with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The reservoir averages about 9 to 10 feet deep, with the old Grand Bayou channel cutting through the basin and dropping into holes of roughly 20 to 24 feet. Wooded shorelines, channel edges, and limited vegetation create a relatively clear-cut bottom compared with older cypress swamp lakes, and about 40 miles of shoreline wrap the pool.
Grand Bayou has a strong reputation for largemouth bass—including double-digit fish—along with crappie, catfish, and bream. Public ramps and shoreline access support anglers from the Coushatta–Natchitoches area seeking a quieter alternative to larger border reservoirs.
Water levels are managed around a normal pool near 138.5 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), as reflected in USGS spillway monitoring. LDWF and the District occasionally schedule multi-foot drawdowns for vegetation control and shoreline maintenance, so checking current lake levels is important before launching. Larger regional options include Toledo Bend to the west and Lake Bistineau to the north.
Current Conditions
Grand Bayou Reservoir is currently 0.88 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.01 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.43 ft
- Drought conditionsAbnormally Dry
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Grand Bayou Reservoir is a 2,700-acre reservoir on the Grand Bayou managed by John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Reservoir District.