Bayou Bodcau Dam & Reservoir

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Bayou Bodcau Dam and Reservoir, it put together more than just earth and concrete.  It created a very unique area in northwest Louisiana that provides outdoor enthusiasts a wide variety of recreational experiences.  Included in these opportunities are hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, biking and horseback riding, just to name a few. One of the largest remaining expanses of bottomland hardwoods in northwest Louisiana is found here.  

Bayou Bodcau Dam and Reservoir is operated and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) as a multiple-use project (Flood Control, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Stewardship and Recreation).  The project extends from the Lake Erling Dam in Arkansas to the Bodcau Dam in Bellevue, Louisiana.  There are 33,500 acres of land open to the public for recreational purposes.  A Cooperative Partnership License Agreement exists between the USACE and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF).  The agreement authorizes the LDWF to use and occupy 32,471.85 acres of land and water for fish and wildlife management purposes.  This public land is for your use and enjoyment.

Whether it be camping and picnicking with your family and friends, sightseeing or canoeing down a moss laden cypress swamp, we hope that you will find visiting Bayou Bodcau a very enjoyable and memorable experience. 

Bayou Bodcau, as a public recreation area, is provided for the use and enjoyment of you - our visitor.  However, each year, needless injuries and deaths occur as a result of swimming and boating related accidents – most of which are preventable.  To insure your enjoyment, you should observe water safety precautions as well as applicable federal, state, and local laws when using the areas waters for boating and other activities.