Atchafalaya River

Mile 109.5 - Duck Lake Channel

John Ruskey

20 Apr 2026 � 1 min read

109.5 Duck Lake Channel

You could follow this convoluted channel to Duck Lake, via many twists and turns along canal cut by oil companies in former days. Some of the canals have become Cajun houseboat hideaways, with dozens of houseboats floating in almost suburban grid pattern. Use Google Earth to best orient yourself as to the best canals to follow, and best entrance to reach Duck Lake.

Duck Lake

Duck Lake is a magical place ringed by stately cypress. It has a special feel, like a wood-lined library. It feels like the gothic library of Louisiana, the drawing room of the gods, the board room of the swamp. After one hundred mile of bottomland hardwood forests and twenty miles of cypress/tupelo gum forests you have finally reached the nation of the ancient tree people standing tall and proud.

Many Rivers to Follow

The Atchafalaya River is predominantly south flowing for its first 110 miles, until Cypress Pass when turns eastward and makes a ten mile run before turning south again at Morgan City. As it makes this eastward run the river splits into five distinct channels (inlcuding Main Channel) and of which the paddler can follow and enjoy good flow regardless of river level. The five possibilities are from west to east: Lower Atchafalaya River, Riverside Pass, Three Island Pass, Little Island Pass and Main Channel Atchafalaya River. We’ll succinctly describe these five choices as they appear coming down the main channel.

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