False River (french: Lac False River) is an oxbow lake located in southeastern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana centered at This lake was once the main channel of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

in this area, but was cut off in about 1722 when seasonal flooding cut a shorter channel to the east.

History

Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville (16 July 1661 – 9 July 1706) or Sieur d'Iberville was a French soldier, explorer, colonial administrator, and trader. He is noted for founding the colony of Louisiana in New France. He was born in Montreal to French ...

and his party bypassed False River to shorten their route up-river. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, an expedition was sent from Morganza with five squadrons from the Second New York Cavalry to scout the area around the False River for

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

recruiting officers. Marching through heavy rainstorms the expedition reached

New Roads New Roads (historically french: Poste-de-Pointe-Coupée) is a city in and the parish seat of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. The center of population of Louisiana was located in New Roads in 2000. The population was 4,831 at the ...

on January 31, 1865. Here five officers were found hiding in closets or under houses.

Recreation

This long lake is a "trophy lake", which means that fish of a certain size are required to be thrown back to grow larger. False River has often held the state record for the largest bass caught, and has the largest number of striped bass per acre in the state. Between 1974 and 1981, more than 265,000 striped bass fingerlings were released into the lake which covers approximately .Pointe Coupee Tourism
Additionally, water sports including boating,

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

, and

water skiing Water skiing (also waterskiing or water-skiing) is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation over a body of water, skimming the surface on two skis or one ski. The sport requires suffic ...

may be enjoyed in the clean, sparkling waters of the lake. A number of commercial establishments provide launch facilities, boat rentals, supplies, and concessions. There are also many restaurants, bar & grills, antique shops, and bed & breakfast accommodations in the area. During

duck hunting Waterfowl hunting (also called wildfowling or waterfowl shooting in the UK) is the practice of hunting ducks, geese, or other waterfowl for food and sport. Many types of ducks and geese share the same habitat, have overlapping or identical hunt ...

season, waterfowl may be legally harvested by the public in an area near Jarreau and

Oscar, Louisiana Oscar is an unincorporated community located in the southeastern portion of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located primarily along Louisiana Highway 1 on the southern end of False River. This community was formerly home to t ...

known as "the south flats". Several private duck blinds have been erected in this area, but most duck hunters tend to simply anchor off their boats in the shallow water of the flats. Located on the northern end of the lake is the city of

. A free public boat launch, barbecue and picnic facilities, a

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

pier and gazebo may be found at the end of Morrison Parkway, near City Hall and the downtown area. Another boat launch, open to the public for a launching fee, is located on the southern end of the lake in Jarreau. This launch, which is the most accessible when coming to the area from

Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties ...

is located on the Island side of False River on Louisiana Highway 413. Other paid launching facilities include Bergeron's Campground near Lakeland, Bueche's Bar & Grill located near Ventress, Jim's Place located in Ventress, The Sand Bar (also home of Pelican Yacht Club) in Oscar, Louisiana, and the Point Breeze Motel on False River Drive (LA-1) in New Roads.

In popular culture

The lake can be seen in the 2002 film ''

The Badge ''The Badge'' is a 2002 mystery-thriller film directed by Robby Henson and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Patricia Arquette and William Devane. Release The Badge was originally intended to be distributed by Propaganda Films, but the production co ...

''.

References

External links

False River Community Site
{{authority control Lakes of Louisiana Oxbow lakes of the United States Baton Rouge metropolitan area Bodies of water of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana Tourist attractions in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana