Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located within the City Limits of Monroe and offers easily accessible opportunities for visitors to spend time in nature birdwatching, taking photos, paddling, hunting, fishing, hiking, and so much more.
Hunting and Fishing Permits and Regulations

You can access current hunting and fishing regulations brochures online or at Refuge kiosks.  Hunters must also fill out and/or use all parts of the daily self-clearing permits with check-in, check-out, harvest report, and vehicle tag.

You can also access and download a geo-referenced PDF map online that is compatible with smartphone apps such as Avenza.

Visit Us

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.  

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Black Bayou Lake is a 5300 acre refuge providing habitat for waterfowl, endangered wildlife, neo-tropical migrants, and resident wildlife.  A variety of habitats are represented at the refuge.  Bottomland hardwood forests provide habitat for a variety of species including prothonotary warblers.  A cypress swamp showcases the stereotypical Louisiana of swamps and bald cypress that shelter a variety of species from broad-banded water snakes to a multitude of frogs.  The 1600 acre lake provides a home for iconic species such as the American alligator, anhingas, great blue herons, and more as well as providing a variety of recreational opportunities including fishing and canoeing. 

      What We Do

      Due to its proximity to the Monroe-West Monroe metropolitan area, we have worked to develop a strong environmental education program.  We serve as a destination for field-trips for local students and a variety of interpretive programs provide opportunities for visitors to learn more about the ecosystems represented at the refuge.  Although most visitors concentrate in the area immediately adjacent to the Visitor Center and Boat Ramp area, the Refuge boasts over 7 miles of multi-purpose trails for hiking and biking and access to hunting areas.  Management efforts on the Refuge center around invasive species invasive species
      An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

      Learn more about invasive species
      management in the lake itself and on land as well as forest management.