Black Bayou Lake
Monroe, LA 71203
Plan Your Visit
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge offers a variety of activities for nature-lovers. A variety of trails are available ranging from wheelchair and stroller accessible trails near the Visitor Center to more primitive hiking/biking/ATV trails in the northern and eastern portions of the Refuge. The Wildlife Pier and Nature Trail Boardwalk are must-see activities for all visitors. The pier extends out into Black Bayou Lake and offers a beautiful view of the lake and its resident wildlife. A portable toilet is located at the boat ramp parking lot and is accessible even when facilities are closed.
Hunters must check in at a self clearing check station kiosk and obtain a Refuge permit/brochure and check in and out daily.
Conveniently located off of Highway 165 in North Monroe, the refuge provides easily accessible opportunities for local residents and visitors to spend time in nature as well as options for fishing and hunting. The majority of recreational opportunities are focused around the Visitor Center and Conservation Learning Center. A Nature Trail boardwalk winds through bottomlands surrounding the lake and the Wildlife Pier extends into the lake itself to offer bountiful opportunities to enjoy nature and watch wildlife. A portable toilet is located at the boat ramp parking lot and is accessible even when facilities are closed.
Activities
Get Involved
Black Bayou Lake NWR has an active volunteer program for both traveling volunteers and local residents and students. Please contact the Refuge at blackbayoulake@fws.gov for more information.
Volunteering
A variety of volunteer opportunities are available on the Refuge from animal caretaking in the Conservation Learning Center to assisting with environmental education programs to gardening. Availability depends on staffing capabilities so please send any inquiries to blackbayoulake@fws.gov.
Our Partners
The Friends of Black Bayou (FoBB) is the volunteer support group for the refuge. FoBB came into existence in August 1997, shortly after the refuge was established. A core group of dedicated supporters dreamed big and fundraised and coordinated the restoration of the plantation house that serves as the Refuge Visitor Center. Every year they sponsor a Fall Celebration during National Refuge Week with free activities, food, exhibitors, and lots of fun. They sponsor an annual Photo Contest every fall and photos are displayed year round in the Visitor Center. For more information please see their webpage at www.friendsofblackbayou.org or join their group on Facebook.
Services
Management and Conservation
Staff use a variety of tools to manage wildlife and habitat on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
Forest Management
Refuge staff monitors the forest for reforestation survival, condition, forest structure and integrity. To ensure habitat is optimal for priority species, refuge staff may prescribe treatment to the forest to reach desired forest conditions. Treatments may include the thinning of trees to promote regeneration, understory structure for nesting songbirds and browse for resident wildlife.
Invasive Species Management
Several invasive species threaten the Refuge. Aquatic invaders such as giant salvinia, water hyacinth, Cuban bulrush, and alligatorweed are major threats to the lake itself while Chinese tallowtree and Chinese privet threaten the forests.
About
Established in 1997, Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge protects approximately 1,500 acres of shallow lake habitat studded with bald cypress and water tupelo trees. Although suburban Monroe surrounds much of its boundary, the refuge conserves vital wetlands and provides habitat for migratory birds and native wildlife. The site has become a premier environmental education destination in Northeast Louisiana, featuring a Visitor Center housed in a restored late 1800s era plantation house.
The central physical feature of the Refuge is the lake itself. Black Bayou Lake is approximately 1,500 acres of shallow water studded with bald cypress and water tupelo trees. The lake is owned by the City of Monroe, which manages its water level as a secondary drinking water source. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a 99 year lease to manage wildlife and habitat.