Kayaking the most alligator-infested lake in Texas
- Michael Thornton
- Oct 16
- 5 min read
In early April, I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Caddo Lake in far eastern Texas along the Texas/Louisiana border. I became interested in this lake after researching it and learning that Caddo Lake has alligators, and I'd be kayaking in a swamp. Now, most people would be completely against such an idea, but I found
this to be one of the coolest things ever. At the time, I was living in Southwestern Oklahoma, and Caddo Lake was nearly seven hours from me. That said, I didn't let this stop me from making this a one-day trip. I left very early in the morning, around 6 AM, and by 9 AM had already made it to Dallas. As a side note, I've always enjoyed driving through Dallas. It is such a beautiful city, and if you
have the chance, go visit it. About an hour later, I stopped at a gas station outside of Canton, called "Dukes." It reminded me of a Bucee's, but slightly cooler. There was a lot of Texas-themed merchandise as well as barbecue sandwiches. I didn't try their food, however, because the line was ungodly long. It looked good, though!
Then, finally, just after noon, I had made it into Cyprus country. Not far ahead of me was the largest flooded Cypress forest in the entire United States, sitting at approximately 25,400 acres, where thousands of alligators live. I had decided beforehand to launch from the Texas Wildlife Management Area boat ramp since it seemed more secluded. Boy, was it! Almost immediately, I went from asphalt to dirt roads with thick forests all
around me. I loved it so much! As soon as I turned off my vehicle at the boat ramp, I began hearing animals I had never heard before, and it was somewhat intimidating, but EXTREMELY cool. For me, the scariest part of this whole thing was launching the kayak. Why might you ask? The idea that I was launching into alligator territory and not able
to see them underwater was very intimidating to me. Moments after launching, a bird pierced the quiet skies with a deafening call. The only way that I know how to describe this call is that it sounded like a gorilla. Having never heard that sound before, I realized I was in unfamiliar territory.
As I began my journey, I started weaving in and out between large cypress trees. It was one of the coolest things I had ever experienced. I truly felt like I was doing something I may never do again, and soaked everything in while keeping an eye out for my
alligator friends. Not even a half mile in, I didn't come across an alligator, but I came across this strange blue creature I had never seen before. This blue creature ended up being a Little Blue Heron! I had always seen Herons while kayaking, but never a completely blue one, and it literally blew my mind. I wasn't sure if the Heron was a female or male, but it was a beaut.
Soon after seeing the Heron, the waters opened up into a large lake, and I had the option to either go left or right. I chose to go left because it looked more wooded. My feelings were no longer those of fear, but rather of excitement.
Shortly after opening back up, the waters closed back in with Cypress trees all around me. That's when I came across a Great Egret, an animal I had never seen before, just like the Heron. The great Egret drew its wings open, and it was massive. They spotted me slowly moving towards them and let out a croaking noise, and flew away. Throughout my journey, I encountered many of these beautiful Great Egrets, one of which I even watched from proximity.
About three miles in, I came across this bridge that had a railroad running across the top of it. I thought it was really cool that the structure was just out in the middle of this heavily populated Cypress Lake, and I wondered what the engineers thought when they saw
these views. Shortly after seeing this bridge, I decided to turn around. I had been on the lake for about two hours already, and the time was 3 PM. Remember, I had planned on driving back that same day! This turned out to be a good idea as dark clouds moved in and it started to rain. I absolutely love kayaking in the rain. So far, I hadn't seen an alligator, and
I attributed that to the less-than-ideal conditions. Over the past 24 hours, it had been raining and very foggy, and the temperatures were in the 50s. Alligators become lethargic and enter brumation in these conditions. As a result, they become dormant. That said, I am sure I paddled above and near many alligators without even knowing it. As I made my way closer to the boat ramp, I made the very dangerous decision to capture a self-portrait of me kayaking in a swamp. The dangerous part? I didn't have my tripod, so I positioned my phone on a tree stump and hoped that it didn't fall into the swamp. Thankfully, I got my
picture, and I was not about to attempt that stunt again. Shortly after 4 PM, I had sadly made it back to the boat ramp. This entire experience was incredible, and it made me want to come here again, but for the entire weekend next time. Now, our journey doesn't
end here because I was so close to Louisiana that I just had to visit it. The last time I had visited this state was when I was deployed for Hurricane Ida. It was during this two-week deployment that I fell in love with the culture of Louisiana. So after a 20-minute drive, I was back in the Pelican State. It made me so happy to be back in this state, and this time not because of a disaster, but rather because I wanted to eat here. I made my way into Shreveport, where I chose a local place
called Crawfish Daddies. Without hesitation, I asked the server for water, some jalapeno cornbread, red fish, and a side of their best jambalaya. About 15 minutes later, they brought everything out, and it was spectacular. This adventure was by far one of my favorites of 2025. I hope you enjoyed reading it!
Watch the full video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a3P38-vhD0
About the writer: Michael Thornton graduated from Rose State College, majoring in Emergency Management. Currently, he is the Director of Warren County Emergency Management and an Oklahoma Certified Emergency Manager. In 2024, he was awarded the OEMA Innovator Award for his severe weather operations in Tillman County.
Comments