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STS112-E-5574 - View of Louisiana.jpg
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Lakes → Louisiana → Toledo Bend

Toledo Bend

Louisiana · Reservoir impounded 1969 · near Many

185,000 acres 110 ft deep 5 ft clarity Water D
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5.8SCORE
Survey summary · Louisiana
185,000
Surface acres
110 ft
Max depth
1,200 mi
Shoreline
5 ft
Typical clarity
172 ft
Elevation
STS112-E-5574 - View of Louisiana.jpg STS122-E-12346 - View of Texas.jpg View of Toledo Bend between LA and TX IMG 1806.JPG

Photographs of Toledo Bend via Wikimedia Commons. Credit and licence on each image — hover to view, click through to the source.

Toledo Bend covers 185,000 acres in Louisiana and drops to 110 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1969 and managed by Sabine River Authority. Clarity is limited, which is typical of productive fisheries but worth seeing in person if you are swimming daily. Short-term rental posture: Parish/county rules. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Large open water, 185,000 acres
  • 1200 miles of shoreline
  • Bass fishing
  • Boating

Watch outs

  • Nutrient-rich water; seasonal algae blooms are possible

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 4.0
Recreation 6.3
Value 4.5
Access 7.3
Investment 7.6

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Largemouth bassCrappieCatfishBream

On the water

Bass fishingBoatingCamping
No USGS gauge on this lake. We only publish a station when its own name matches this water body. Nearby gauges on other lakes would look like data and mislead you, so we show nothing instead. Why we do that.
2.46 ft
Gage height
2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Toledo Bend
6 ft FULL POOL WINTER LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 6 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

Location

No NHD boundary matched this water body, so the marker shows the mapped centre point.

Depth profile

SURFACE 110 ft max avg 35 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 110 ft, average 35 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown6 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateEutrophic Typical clarity5 ft Water quality gradeD Elevation172 ft Managing authoritySabine River Authority

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authoritySabine River Authority Wake / speed rulesNo-wake in creeks
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Sabine River Authority that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

Parish/county rules

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$315,000
Median waterfront
$6,172
Per shoreline foot
+7.9%
Year over year
170
Est. inventory
105
Avg days on market
$540
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy40% Booked nights / yr105 Gross revenue$62,842 Net operating income$30,780 Yield on median price9.77%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Toledo Bend actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$2,902
All-in per month
$73,810
Cash to close + setup
$10,205
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$34,829 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $19,916 (60%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $3,465 (10%) Property taxes $3,308 (10%) Utilities $2,700 (8%) Hazard insurance $1,400 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (3%) Dock maintenance $900 (3%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$19,916
Property taxes$3,308
Hazard insurance$1,400
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$3,465
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$34,829
Model your own numbers →

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