Quick Paddle Guide to Shell Bank Bayou and Maurepas Swamp

This is sort of foreword to the very first post I made here a few years back: Shell Bank Bayou: Two Routes...

My first version of that post was based on my first handful of trips through Shell Bank Bayou, out to Lake Maurepas, and then in and around the surrounding Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area. A lot has changed since my first paddles in this area in 2012 or 2013. First, I was still very new to kayaking and had much to learn about all things kayak-related and about the nature of Nature. And this bayou is an excellent classroom. Second, this classroom changes cyclically, and it evolves. After some time, I realized I needed to update the post to keep it current. Then, again. And again. And it started to feel sloppy or overly long.

One of the key factors for all these updates: Water Hyacinth. When I first started paddling out here, the hyacinth problem was much, much less severe. Sure, the bayou itself, and the narrow channels through "the prairie" always had water level and vegetation challenges for us. But by 2019 or 2020, whole swaths of the area were getting completely choked off by this plant. And it does just that: It suffocates the waterway beneath it. All paddling in this area is defined by it now.  I discuss this a lot in the specific route info in the original post, so...'nuff said. For now.

So again, this post is more of a foreword to the first; or a general overview of Shell Bank Bayou and the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Areas, and some of the paddling options in the vicinity. The original post is still there, with details on specific places to paddle and explore. And if you see something here that makes you want to go paddle "that route", you can go to the original post: Paddling Shell Bank Bayou: Two Routes and Some Wandering Options and hopefully find the info you need to enjoy yourself.

Here's a snippet from Google Maps of the whole area, from I-10 at the bottom to Pass Manchac at the top:

And here are a couple of snippets that I also have on the original post. These are a little more zoomed in, and I've added labels--some of these labels are official names, like "Ruddock Canal", and some are the local names I've heard others use, like "The Prairie Canal".

 And zoomed in more on Shell Bank Bayou itself, and the Maurepas Swamp side of the bayou:

In an effort to not just repeat things from the original post (though that will happen), I'm going to keep this pretty brief. No "photographer-wannabe" pictures.

This area is very much Paddling Heaven. On Google Maps, someone actually added "kayak heaven" as a label.  Pretty much anyone, in any boat, can come out here and spend however much time they have doing a looping trip, or a wandering photo adventure, a fishing trip, or whatever they want. Hours can be spent without going out to Lake Maurepas or deep into the swamp.  But, if you do wander into the woods, or Lily Bayou, bring a GPS device, or at the very least, a compass, and a better sense of direction than mine.

General info - Shell Bank Bayou itself snakes out to Lake Maurepas, and at points it's wide open, and at other points, it's very narrow, and those narrow spots often get clogged by vegetation, especially...yep, you guessed it: water hyacinth. As I say in my original post, the roughly 2 mile paddle to the lake can be very tiring, or sometimes impossible, to get through.

Then there's the logging canal at the very beginning of the trip to SBB (see the image above), and this logging canal offers a lot of options. See the maps above and the original post (and a little info below). In extreme cases, this canal has been completely covered by water hyacinth, but it's usually open. Take a GPS, map, compass, etc, and spend time exploring and relaxing.

Also, if you paddle along what I call the I-55 Canal, under the raised interstate, you'll probably find some bayous to explore, especially as you head north toward the Ruddock Canal. You can expect some boat traffic traveling along this stretch, by the way. If you do go wandering into the bayous off of the I-55 canal, some split into forks, or interconnect with others, especially closer to Ruddock Canal, so someone with a sense of direction like mine may need to take extra care to not get lost.

Lots of options to explore.

Safety concerns? Of course - life vest, water, snacks, knowing your limits, etc... Gators? Yep. I seldom see large ones here, but they're out here. If you go to Lake Maurepas, you may have waves or you may have glassy smooth water. If the wind is generally from the west, north, or NW, it will have good fetch coming across the lake, so the water will roll a little, if not a lot. All this is in the original post if you want specific concerns about specific areas.

What about you? New to kayaking and just want to paddle around as far as you can? Starting from the launch:

Hwy 51 Shell Bank Bayou Launch

Paddle into Shell Bank Bayou as far as you can, and when it gets too challenging (it will), turn around and go back to the logging canal and explore the finger lakes, or make your way into the woods, or Lily Bayou.  You'll almost certainly see kayak tour groups out here, and almost certainly, this is the trip they'll be doing. For these wanderings, as I said, pretty much any boat is fine. In fact, if you do go into the woods or down any of the really narrow waterways, a 12'-14' boat is probably better than a long sea kayak.  

Yes, this area does deserve two posts, I think. And I hope this smaller post is useful, and please visit the original:

Paddling Shell Bank Bayou: Two Routes and Some Wandering Options 

Oh, and did I say something about "changes"?

More to come! Advocate Article - Restoration Project

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paddle Tickfaw River to Lake Maurepas to Pass Manchac and Middendorf's (shuttle required)

Here's another "river/Lake Maurepas/Manchac" route, based on a trip a few friends of mine and I did one chilly and cloudy December day in 2013. It was very cloudy-almost misty at the start-and in the 40's, so it felt pretty chilly being so close to the water. This route spends about half of its 13 1/2 miles on the Tickfaw River, and I have to say, I'd be more cautious doing this paddle in warmer weather. The Tickfaw is a very popular recreational river with at least two boat-accessible bars (one is only accessible by boat) along this route. We actually launched right across from one of these bars, and another is about 6 miles down river. In warm weather, a large variety of boats and jet skis are making their way up and down the river, many stopping for drinks. Kayaks are not exactly common sites out here, so...as I said, I probably wouldn't want to spend too much time paddling on the Tickfaw in the middle of a weekend day in boating season. Early mornings would probably be fine. 

But, we had the river to ourselves on this chilly, cloudy day, and it was a very fun trip.  There were 6 or 7 of us, and we had a large flatbed trailer, which made the shuttle very easy. We met on Hwy 51, in a roadside parking area directly across from Middendorf's, loaded all the kayaks onto the trailer, we all got into that and another vehicle and drove to the launch spot on Hwy 22 where it crosses the Tickfaw River. The shuttle route itself is I-55 north from Manchac, to Hwy 22, then west through Springfield. When we finished, back at Middendorf's, one of us drove the owners of the other two vehicles back up to the launch to bring those vehicles back while the others waited. Each leg of this shuttle took about 25 minutes, so that did mean an hour or so of shuttle or waiting at the end, but we all agreed it was worth it.

Then we all loaded up all the kayaks onto the original vehicles, and went and ate catfish and hush puppies, and enjoyed some good beer at Middendorf's, and forgot about the long shuttle. It was a long, invigorating, relaxing, satisfying, friendship-making day.

Here's our meeting spot, which is where we finished the paddle and started the shuttle:
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2897319,-90.4024653,217m/data=!3m1!1e3

Here's the launch, which is right on the edge of Springfield:
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3776475,-90.5505474,153m/data=!3m1!1e3

This is a pretty simple route to follow, but here are the details, and some photos:

Our launch is just past Springfield, LA, right before you cross the bridge over the Tickfaw River, if you're heading west on Hwy 22. As we launch, we almost immediately pass one of the more popular bars along the Tickfaw: Tin Lizzy's Landing.

That's Tin Lizzy's Landing in the center of the picture

From the launch, we paddled downriver (left) and followed the river as it snakes its way to Lake Maurepas. Somewhere around the 6 mile mark, we passed the Natalbany River on the left, and then came up to the Prop Stop on the right. The Prop Stop was closed, so we used its dock for a lunch break.

Getting ready to take a break at the Prop Stop (Nick Napoda took this shot of Jan, Maarten and me)

Maarten's photo of our lunch break

Here are some nice shots Maarten took:

That's Sarah in the picture

Shortly after the Prop Stop, Lake Maurepas opens up in front of you:

As I always warn when I talk about paddling on Lake Maurepas: The lake blends right into a dying cypress forest, and if you paddle too close to the edge, you may scrape across a submerged tree stump. It's really beautiful, and it's worth pulling in close to get pictures, but watch where you're going. Let me emphasize that point: I've paddled along the northern and eastern edge of Lake Maurepas often, and it really is beautiful. Bring your camera--just be prepared to take pictures in a rocking kayak. And, watch your path. On this route, we followed the "shore" on our left for a few minutes, and then moved farther out into the lake as we cut southeast across the northeastern corner of the lake. The I-55 bridge over Pass Manchac is an easy target to shoot for.

Then we reached the western tip of "Jones Island" (the area between the two lakes and the north and south passes), and followed the shore back to a rocky bank, where we got out in very shallow water and helped each other carry our kayaks back up to the edge of the road.
Then, the shuttle and catfish, as I described above. The end of this trip is actually at the beginning of this post!

Kayaking Natalbany River to North Pass Manchac, via Lake Maurepas (shuttle required)

Here's a fun trip I took with a couple of friends down the Natalbany River, across an edge of Lake Maurepas, over to the boat launch on Hwy 51 at the North Pass of Manchac. This is a one-way trip, so we did need to do a shuttle, but the drive time between the launch and take out was really short: maybe 20 minutes.

This trip was just about 16 miles, and 9 of that was on the Natalbany River, which is relaxed and easy paddling. We then spent about two miles on the Tickfaw River, very near the Prop Stop, which is a very popular bar, accessible only by boat. The Tickfaw River is quite a bit bigger, and on a warm, sunny day, you'll encounter larger, faster pleasure boats and, possibly, some jet skis. This traffic is mostly going to or from the bar, or perhaps showing off for the crowd at the bar, so it's important to pay attention and keep to one side or the other.  Then, you reach Lake Maurepas, cut across the northeastern edge of that, and head over to the boat launch on the North Pass of Manchac.  Every time I've paddled Lake Maurepas, it's been relatively calm. But do remember that it is a relatively large, but shallow lake. On some days the water is glassy smooth, but usually there is some energy to the water. Also remember that the "shores" of the lake are the marshy edges of a dying cypress forest. It's beautiful, and you'll see tons of birds. But watch for stumps just below the surface.  As you exit the river, and then as you approach North Pass and its boat launch, expect boat traffic to increase.

Here's the route:



We drove to the boat launch on Hwy 51, just above Middendorf's:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boat+Ramp+(manchac)/@30.3067301,-90.4063538,634m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x695a481e15c128f1

We left my car here, and then we drove our other vehicles to Springfield to this very rustic boat launch on Hwy 22, which did not charge us for launching our kayaks:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.4327886,-90.5451254,533m/data=!3m1!1e3

We somehow didn't plan out our shuttle situation very well, and at the takeout spot we realized we needed to squeeze all three kayaks onto my two-kayak roof rack. But we're resourceful, and I drove carefully:

Nick assessing the rig: Nick let me try out one of his boats, so two of these three kayaks were his.

The Natalbany River, like so many of the small rivers around here, is normally a very slow moving river. It's small enough that we only encountered small fishing boats,  and enjoyed a very relaxing, scenic trip as we made our way down river to the Tickfaw River, and then Lake Maurepas. 

It was hot and sunny, so we took a short break in the shade.

As we expected, once we got to the Tickfaw River we began encountering larger, faster boats, and their wakes. It was still pretty early in the day---perhaps noon when we got to the Tickfaw--and traffic was by no means at a peak. I'm sure we would have dealt with much heavier, and much faster traffic 2 or 3 hours later. This is a very popular spot, and folks are having a good time.  A small group of kayakers will not always be noticed, so pay attention and expect some wake.

The banks of the Tickfaw are soft and marshy. Firm land is hard to come by, and when you do find it, it's probably private property. We did come across a couple of small bayous, and that's where we pulled over to eat lunch.

Not exactly sure what this guy was, but I had to snap a shot.

Lunch

Most of the boat traffic near the Prop Stop is actually coming from upriver to the Prop Stop, so traffic is actually a good bit lighter between the bar and Lake Maurepas. But again, these are often fairly large pleasure boats, and moving pretty fast. As you might expect, they really aren't looking out for kayaks on the water, so as I mentioned earlier, stay to the sides and listen for them as they approach. Within 2 miles or so, we came out on the lake, and just followed the marshy shore on our left as we headed southeast. We spent about 4 miles on the lake, and as we approached the eastern edge of the lake, we could to see I-55 and Hwy 51.





When you're coming across Lake Maurepas towards the boat launch at North Pass, it's likely you'll see the taller overpass that spans the the South Pass of Manchac, which (of course) is south of our destination. Instead, look for the very tall cell phone tower, and the not-quite-as-tall overpass that spans the North Pass. The phone tower is in the parking area of the boat launch that was our take out spot.
From the water, the direct route to the launch can be a little tricky. So aim for the cell tower and take a quick study of this image below:

My first time approaching the boat launch from Lake Maurepas, I ended up taking the left part of the fork at that little island in the picture above since I was basically using the high point of I-55 as my target. Instead, take the right fork, follow that, again with the cell tower as your target, and before long you'll see the launch as you come around the last curve.
Once at the launch, you can use the launch itself to take out, or you can pull up to the rocks right below I-55 and not deal with boat traffic.
And that's the trip! Don't forget, Middendorf's is a very short drive south. It's a great place to refuel after a great paddle!

Paddling North Pass Manchac and Its Bayous

Overview:

The North Pass of Manchac connects Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. It's the lesser known "Pass Manchac", and it and the South Pass form "Jones Island", which is actually labeled on some maps. The North Pass itself is a pleasant paddle, but the point of this trip is to explore some of the bayous off of the pass. I'm not sure exactly what it is that I love about these bayous, but I feel completely removed from the rest of the world and completely in touch with nature. I feel like a kid exploring some place new. It's partly because this entire area is very exposed to the sky, so these little bayous feel like a few other swamp trips, except with wide open sky overhead and nothing stopping the wind. And nobody else around (unless they came with you).  It just feels free.

T Bayou

This "trip" is different from most I'll describe because there is not one specific destination or loop. This is a trip I take to explore, escape, and take pictures. On my last trip out here, about 8 miles was on the pass and about 3 miles in the small bayous. In my descriptions below, if I make a reference to a landmark and distance, that is the distance from the launch if you stayed only on the pass. I won't know which bayous you're going to explore, so I won't know your mileage. T-Bayou, for example, is about 1.6 miles from the launch if you do not explore any of the bayous before it. 

Launch:

Take I-55 to the Manchac exit, then head north on Hwy 51. Very soon, within the first 1/2 mile, you'll see a large parking area to the left. This parking area is so large that first timers tend to not realize it's the boat launch and miss the turn in. Look for the very tall antenna tower and pull in. The sheriff's trailer is also a good landmark. You can launch from the actual boat launch, or go to the left and launch from the shore under I-55.

The launch

Here's a gmap-pedometer.com route showing the launch and some of the options. This is not a record of an actual trip I took, just some ideas I traced out:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=6718029

 

***random 2025 note - while re-reading this post to make sure the links still worked, I noticed the Google link labeled "The Launch" actually shows a "small boat launch" just to the east of the main launch, and it's  also just east of the very low "Old Hwy 51" bridge. I've never noticed that before.  This area is called Akers, by the way, so Google refers to these two launches as the Akers Boat Launch and The Akers Small Boat Launch. 

General Comments/considerations:

It’s important to note that from our launch, you pass under the old Hwy 51 Bridge, which is very low-sometimes tight for a kayak--so very few boats go our direction. You may see a single boat on this trip. You will be, and you will feel, very isolated out here. Enjoy that, but consider safety—you should not expect anyone to come along if you need help.

Also, any firm ground I’ve seen along the North Pass is private property. Everything else is marsh. Expect to NOT be able to land and stretch or heed nature’s call.

A 12-14 ft kayak or canoe would be perfect for these bayous. I’ve always been in 16’-18’ kayaks and have had to turn around sooner than I wanted because it can get too narrow to turn a long kayak around. However, on really windy days, a small kayak will be challenged out in the pass. As I'll describe below, the wind can be a major factor in the pass, so check the weather, and compromise between a "pass friendly" and a "narrow bayou friendly" canoe or kayak.

It's hard to call this either an easy or hard paddle. On any day, parts of it will be very easy. But, on some days, the pass can be challenging due to the wind. When fronts come through this area, they bring strong WNW winds that often shift to strong NE winds. Those winds get some time over Lake Maurepas or Lake Pontchartrain and pick up speed before funneling into the pass. Some of the toughest winds I’ve paddled have been in the North Pass during season change. My experience confirms what I’ve read: tide influence is not significant through this pass, especially relative to the wind. So it's very important to emphasize how strong the wind can be through the pass. Sometimes, as I come out of the side bayous, headed back to the main pass, the pass very much looks like a river thanks to the strong, wind-driven current.  On one beautiful but windy spring day, we saw quite a few alligators swimming in the pass and the bayous, and the water had just enough energy that my companion was not comfortable, and we simply headed back after we left the first bayou. If you're not sure of your limits and abilities, and you've got gators around, do what's best for yourself.

My first flip in a kayak occurred as I exited T Bayou and the east wind broadsided me, sending me over. Granted, I was in the wrong kayak(my skinny, tippy "racing" boat). On this "flip" episode, I paddled the left-side bayous first, going east from the launch. On my return trip, going west, the tailwind nearly snatched my paddle from my hands a couple of times. I was actually uncomfortable with the strong tailwind and the very strong current lifting my kayak up from behind, and was glad to take a break in T Bayou. But, coming out of T Bayou, I tried to work myself into the very fast, short-wave waves coming from my right as I turned left, got sloppy and then got hit by a gust of wind, and "DUNK!" By the time I exited the kayak and got alongside it to assess the situation, I was easily 20 feet "down river" and still moving. And remember: there is no firm ground to use for recovery. Sadly, some of my best pictures of some of these bayous floated away from me (with my phone, and worse, my car key) during this episode. I won't make it sound like I was in blowing surf, but this "flat water" was moving very fast, and between that and the incredible wind, I couldn't really consider going back to look for the bag my phone was in. I had my kayak in one hand and my paddle in the other, and I needed to figure out how to get back in my kayak. I did get back in. And learned that a dry bag is great, but if it's got your phone and keys in it, it helps to have it tethered to your boat or yourself.

This is your "shore" on most of this trip.

This entire area  used to be a cypress forest, but it was logged away. Countless little and not-so-little canals were created to get better access to the trees for logging, and those canals helped turn the dying forest into a marshy “prairie”. These canals also intersect with the bayous, and can create a maze. I'm sure it could get confusing if you explore every turn and option you come across.

Starting from Hwy 51 and going east, the North Pass of Manchac is very wide and exposed to the wind and sun. It then narrows a good bit after a mile and a half or so, but remains wide enough to feel the wind, possibly mixed with some tidal flow.

When you turn off into the small bayous, you lose any current, but you'll still feel the wind to a lesser extent. On a windy day, the boat will move a lot while you're trying to compose your photographs. Tree growth is very sparse, so these various bayous are still open to a big sky (don’t forget sunscreen). But the vegetation gets tall enough,and there are just enough trees along these bayous that as they narrow, you feel a little more sheltered. It’s a stark change from the main pass. I always experience a very calming and liberating feeling as I paddle through these bayous. Nearly 360 degrees of sky, dragon flies and birds and turtles and not another human around. Sometimes I wonder when the last human passed through some of these spots. On summer afternoons, you may see the thunderstorms bubbling up on the horizon (hopefully no closer) all around you.

Route Details:

From the launch, head to the right/east of the main launch and pass under the very low Hwy 51 bridge. After passing under the low bridge, heading east, the pass is very wide and almost feels more like a lake. The first bayou worth exploring is on the left in about 3/4 of a mile. The next one is in another quarter mile or so, also on the left. Some of these bayous intersect the pass at shallow angles, and sometimes they're very overgrown, so you may miss some from one season to the next. Because I've only explored these in my long kayak, I've always turned around before I really wanted to as the bayous narrow down to just a few feet wide. Consider this also if you're going with a group--at some point you'll have to turn that train around.

These next 3 or 4 photos are from the main pass:

The very beginning of the trip, at the Maurepas end of the pass.

This used to be a cypress forest.

You should find at least 2 or 3 of these bayous on the left that are worth exploring in the first mile and a half. Then cross over to the right side, and right around 1.6 miles or so from the launch you’ll see T Bayou, which is named for its shape.  There are smaller channels but mainly there is a single path to the right at the top of the T, and then 2 or 3 routes to the left. T Bayou looks a little different each time, but it's always beautiful. A mixture of dying forest, a few living cypress, and just tons of nature. You can easily paddle for a mile or more in here. So, consider mileage—you may explore 3 miles of bayous within the first 1.6 miles (3.2 round trip), so you can do 5-6 miles easily in the first short stretch, never being very far from your launch. 

As you can see, a long kayak will eventually have a hard time turning around.

Alternatively, if you continue going east on the pass, past T Bayou, you'll pass some more small bayous on the left--and again, you may paddle right past one or two. After about the 3rd mile from launch, you may find one or two more until you get to the very wide Central Bayou.

I haven't explored that yet, but the maps & satellite images show another network of canals and bayous.

One of the last bayous before Central Bayou, and definitely one of the more heavily wooded bayous. With a nice little photo op on one trip (see below - you may have to look carefully to see the babies):

Overall, the North Pass is about 8 miles from lake to lake, but it's very easy to do great exploratory trips of 8 to 10 miles within the first 3 or 4 miles of the launch if you take enough turns.