Louisiana’s Most Snake-Infested Lakes

LOUISIANA - Louisiana is famous for its beautiful lakes, bayous, and swamps, but with all of this natural beauty comes something else...snakes.

Now that the Summer months are approaching, snakes across Louisiana are beginning to come out to play searching for food and warm sunshine. Just this past week I came across a grass snake and a rat snake in my backyard.

The Pelican State is home to more than 50 species of snakes, many of which thrive in and around freshwater lakes and marshes.

If you love fishing, boating, or just spending time on the water, there are a few lakes across Louisiana where snake sightings are far more common than others.

Let’s take a look at the lakes where you’re most likely to cross paths with a snake in Louisiana.

Lake Pontchartrain Is Louisiana’s Snake Hotspot

If there’s one lake in Louisiana that stands out above the rest when it comes to snakes, it’s Lake Pontchartrain.

This massive body of water, technically an estuary, supports a wide mix of freshwater and brackish environments, making it ideal for wildlife.

Because of this, Lake Pontchartrain is home to dozens of snake species, including cottonmouths, copperheads, water snakes, and rat snakes.

READ MORE: Louisiana's Top 5 Largest and Most Dangerous Snakes

The combination of shallow waters, abundant food, and marshy surroundings makes this one of the most snake-active areas in all of Louisiana.

Lake Maurepas Offers Quiet Waters And Plenty Of Snakes

Located just west of Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas is known for its peaceful scenery and untouched shoreline. The lake’s dense cypress and tupelo swamps create the perfect habitat for snakes. You’ll commonly find ribbon snakes, racers, water snakes, and cottonmouths.

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Calcasieu Lake Has One Of The Most Diverse Snake Populations

Located near the Louisiana-Texas border, Calcasieu Lake is well-known for fantastic fishing, but it’s also a hotspot for snakes, and lots of 'em.

Calcasieu Lake's heavy marsh environment supports a wide variety of species, including venomous snakes like copperheads, cottonmouths, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes.

The mix of food sources and wetlands makes it one of the most snake-populated lakes in Louisiana.

Caddo Lake Is Beautiful, But Full Of Snakes

Caddo Lake is one of the most scenic lakes in Louisiana, famous for its moss-covered cypress trees and maze-like waterways. But that same environment is also ideal for snakes.

At Caddo Lake you'll find cottonmouths, rat snakes, and racers.

Lake D’Arbonne Is Popular And Packed With Snakes

Lake D’Arbonne is a long-time go-to destination for camping, fishing, and family trips, and along the shoreline, you’ll find plenty of snake activity. Here you'll find plenty of banded water snakes, kingsnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads.

READ MORE: Louisiana's 7 Deadliest Animals

Lake Claiborne And Toledo Bend Round Out The List

Two more Louisiana lakes known for snake activity include Lake Claiborne and the Toledo Bend Reservoir. These two Louisiana lakes are home to dozens of different snake species thanks to abundant cover and food.

Should You Be Worried?

Not necessarily. While some of these lakes are home to venomous snakes, most species are non-venomous and avoid humans.

You can learn more at worldatlas.com.