Cross Lake
Caddo Parish County, Louisiana8,768 acresView mapDirections
LDEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Cross Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- Limited data
Cross Lake in Caddo Parish County, Louisiana has water-quality measurements published by LDEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 165 µg/L. Surface area: 8768 acres.
Cross Lake is a 8,768-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Caddo Parish County, Louisiana. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Caddo Parish County, Cross Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2021-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Cross Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water8,768 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cross Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cross Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cross Lake
These are the measurements LDEQ publishes for Cross Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 165 µg/L. TSI 78.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 165µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 78 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Cross Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
8,768 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cross Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- American LegionSemi-private
- Melvin's LandingSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Cross Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Cross Lake in Caddo Parish County, Louisiana — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Cross Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Cross Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Cross Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cross Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cross Lake Dam and Spillway (completed 1925), built primarily for water supply on the Cross Bayou; earth-type dam, 50 ft tall and 8,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 8,768 ac
- Normal storage
- 83,678 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 215,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 253 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Shreveport
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID LA00346 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Cross Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit LA100310_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Caddo Parish County
Frequently asked questions about Cross Lake
Where is Cross Lake?
- Cross Lake is a lake in Caddo Parish County, Louisiana. Its water-quality measurements are published by LDEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cross Lake?
- Cross Lake in Caddo Parish County, Louisiana has water-quality measurements published by LDEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 165 µg/L. Surface area: 8768 acres.
Is Cross Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cross Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Cross Lake?
- Cross Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include American Legion, Melvin's Landing.
Can I fish at Cross Lake?
- Cross Lake has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Louisiana's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Cross Lake across LakeQuality
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Louisiana
Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- LDEQ/Water Planning and Assessment (Louisiana)
LADEQWPD_WQX30 samples · 2020–2021
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory