Lake Pontchartrain

Lake Pontchartrain is a large coastal lagoon-like lake in southeastern Louisiana, north of New Orleans, and connected to the Gulf of Mexico by several passes. It is a prominent regional water body used for transport, recreation and local fisheries.

Recreational activities include boating, fishing and shoreline parks; the lake’s shallow waters and extensive marshes support local fisheries and birdlife. The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is a prominent engineered crossing that carries vehicle traffic across the lake and is a notable landmark in its own right.

Several state parks and waterfront communities along the lake provide access points, boat launches and picnic areas, though conditions vary with tides, storms and seasonal factors. The lake is also affected by coastal processes and storm surge from Gulf hurricanes.

Named during the French colonial era, the lake has long been a focus for settlement and transport in southeastern Louisiana; infrastructure such as the Causeway was constructed in the mid-20th century to improve cross-lake travel. The lake and its shorelands have been shaped by land-use change, navigation and coastal management efforts.

The lake lies immediately north of New Orleans and Orleans Parish, stretching east-west and bounded by multiple parishes and coastal wetlands; it connects to the Gulf via the Rigolets and Chef Menteur passes. The Causeway links suburbs on the lake’s south shore with communities on the north shore.

• Recreation note: Freshwater-to-brackish conditions and shallow depths make the lake popular for fishing and recreational boating; expect busy activity in summer.

What to See #

• Lake Pontchartrain Causeway: A pair of parallel road bridges forming one of the world's longest over-water spans, linking the southshore suburbs of New Orleans with communities north of the lake over a distance of about 38 kilometres.