Raccourci Old River, also called Old River, is a long

ox-bow lake An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are call ...

located in northern

Pointe Coupee Parish Pointe Coupee Parish ( or ; french: Paroisse de la Pointe-Coupée) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 22,802; in 2020, its population was 20,758. The parish seat is New Roads. Pointe ...

and western

West Feliciana Parish West Feliciana Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Feliciana Ouest''; Spanish: ''Parroquia de West Feliciana'') is a civil parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2010 census, the population was 15,625, and 15,310 at the 2020 census. ...

Louisiana, USA Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

. It is also sometimes called Old River creating some confusion with the other Old River. It encompasses approximately . It is located outside the Mississippi River Protective Levee system near the communities of Lacour, LA and Innis, LA. The 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 f ...

. The northern end of the lake has become silted in over the years, while the southern end of the lake is still open to the main Mississippi River Channel at certain times of the year. This accessibility is dependent upon the water level in the channel, known as "the Narrows", that connects the two bodies of water. The land mass in the north eastern part of the lake is known as Raccourci Island and is located in

. The lake forms part of the boundary line between Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana Parishes.

Fishing

This waterway is known for

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 ...

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

, and

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 ...

. Among the fish caught in Old River,

crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxis'' ...

(known as sac-a-lait in southern Louisiana)Sac-a-lait or Crappie
are probably the most sought after. Other fish species include bluegill, largemouth bass, several species of catfish, largemouth buffalo, and the endangered paddlefish. It is a popular fishing area for commercial fishermen, who tend to fill their bag limits on a regular basis.

References

{{authority control Baton Rouge metropolitan area Lakes of Louisiana Oxbow lakes of the United States Bodies of water of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana Bodies of water of West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana