Cane River Lake is a beautiful, winding body of water that runs through Natchitoches Parish. While Cane River Lake has the unique distinction of having the appearance of a river and the characteristics of a stream, it is technically a lake. But it has a pretty cool history of how it came to be — let’s take a closer look.

The Cane River Lake is about a 33-mile long oxbow lake that runs through downtown Natchitoches and surrounding areas.
Google Maps
Oxbow lakes are U-shaped bodies of water that form when it's cut off from the main stem of a river, leaving a free-standing body of water.
Originally part of the Red River, it was the head of navigable waters on the Mississippi/Red River route for years before a massive natural log jam prevented any boats from passage.
Matt Howry/Flickr
The log jam was 160-miles and known at the Great Raft.
Cane River National Heritage Area/Facebook
Fun fact: steamboat builder Henry Miller Shreve began efforts to start removing the Great Raft, and they ended up naming Shreveport after him!
Over time, the Red River changed its course, cutting across a bend at Grand Ecore.
Kent Kanouse/Flickr
Steamboat access through Natchitoches became more and more sporadic, eventually only becoming possible during high water periods.

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As the route became less popular for steamboat travel, dams were built to separate Cane River Lake from Red River.
Jim Dollar/Flickr
Today the lake is popular for swimming, fishing, and boating.
Nsuengineer06/Flickr
During Christmas, Natchitoches decorates the lake and the surrounding downtown area.
Natchitoches Christmas/Facebook
It's really an amazing production and should be on everyone's bucket list.
So next time you're in the area, spend some time on this beautiful lake.
Jim Dollar/Flickr
You won't regret it!

What’s your favorite lake in Louisiana? Let us know in the comments below!

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