Photos, video: A photographic adventure on Lake Martin
Lake Martin spreads just south of Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish.
If you're planning to visit, it's guaranteed that you'll see at least one alligator. But it's more likely that you'll see two, three or more.
The lake's 800 acres includes a swamp-draped cypress and tupelo swamp. Two swamp tour businesses offer tours of the lake and swamp, and the lake, itself, offers a wealth of outdoor recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, canoeing and kayaking.
No fees are charged to fish in this public lake. Just take off at the public boat launch, and you're on your way.
In the meantime, here's a photographic adventure of Lake Martin to whet your appetite.
Two alligators congregate on a bank opposite Champagne's Swamp Tours at Lake Martin.
A kayaker glides in the distance on the open water of Lake Martin. The lake is located outside of Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish.
Cypress knees grow in interesting shapes around an ancient cypress tree in Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
A quick sweep of Lake Martin's moss-draped cypress and tupelo swamp while on a tour with Champagne's Swamp Tours. Staff video by Robin Miller
Turtles can be seen sunning on logs throughout Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
The Spanish moss of Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp frames a tour boat operated by Champagne's Swamp Tour.
A male alligator, measuring an estimated 11-feet-long, glares at tourists in Champagne's Swamp Tours' boat during an excursion on Lake Martin.
Gazing into the tops of Lake Martin's moss-draped cypress trees.
Tourists in one of Champagne's Swamp Tours' boats get a close-up look at an alligator during a swamp tour in Lake Martin.
Egrets plentiful sights in Lake Martin. They are just one variety of the many wading birds that nest every year at the Nature Conservancy's Cypress Island Preserve (pictured here), which includes the lake.
Boat riders spend the afternoon in the still water of Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
An osprey perches on a high limb in a cypress tree at Lake Martin.
Champagne's Swamp Tour's boat heads into Lake Martin's moss-draped cypress and tupelo swamp.
A hatchling alligator contemplates testing Lake Martin's swamp waters.
A Rosette Spoonbill feeds its young on the branch of a cypress tree in the Nature Conservancy's Cypress Island Preserve at Lake Martin.
Looking out at Lake Martin's open water from Champagne's Swamp Tour's tour boat.
Champagne's Swamp Tours guide maneuvers the tourists-filled boat through Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
Many cypress trees in Lake Martin's swamp are centuries old, dating between 500 and 1,500 years old.
A tourist uses her iPhone to snap a photo of Stella, the mama alligator who keeps a continuous vigil near her nest in Lake Martin's swamp while waiting for her hatchlings to grow old enough to leave the area.
Stella, a mama alligator, maintains a continuous vigil near her nest in Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp while waiting for her hatchings to grow old enough to leave the area.
Great blue herons are plentiful sights in Lake Martin. They are just one variety of the many wading birds that nest every year at the Nature Conservancy's Cypress Island Preserve (pictured here), which includes the lake.
Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp is draped in a curtain of Spanish moss.
Tourists take in the sights at the front of one of Champagne's Swamp Tour's boats before entering Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
A male alligator, measuring an estimated 11-feet-long, glares at tourists in Champagne's Swamp Tours' boat during an excursion on Lake Martin.
Many cypress trees in Lake Martin's swamp are centuries old, dating between 500 and 1,500 years old.
Champagne's Cajun Swamp Tours and bait shop is pictured at Lake Martin.
A tangle of limbs, moss and vegetation makes up an osprey next high in the top of a cypress tree along Lake Martin.
A gallinule wades through the thick vegetation near the bank of Lake Martin while searching for food to feed its young.
Many cypress trees in Lake Martin's swamp are centuries old, dating between 500 and 1,500 years old.
Canoes are docked at Champagne's Swamp Tours at Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish. The tour business offers both canoes and kayaks for rent.
Swamp tour boats are docked at Champagne's Swamp Tours on Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish.
Canoes and kayaks are pictured at Champagne's Swamp Tours at Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish. The tour business offers both canoes and kayaks for rent.
Majestic, moss-draped cypress trees reflect in Lake Martin's water.
Fishermen try their luck on the edge of Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
A Bald Eagle flies over the Cypress Island Preserve at Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish. In March through June, birds are nesting at the preserve and can be viewed from walking trails and Rookery Road which runs along the swamp and Lake Martin.
Tourists look out at Lake Martin's open water while riding with Champagne's Swamp Tours.
Cormorants are silhouetted against the late afternoon sky while roosting in a cypress tree at Lake Martin.
A hatchling alligator contemplates testing Lake Martin's swamp waters.
A Champagne's Swamp Tours boat filled with tourists exits Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
A Great Egret begins building its spring nest at the Cypress Island Preserve at Lake Martin in St. Martin Parish. In March through June, birds are nesting at the preserve and can be viewed from walking trails and Rookery Road which runs along the swamp and Lake Martin.
Curtains of Spanish moss hang from towering cypress trees in Lake Martin's cypress and tupelo swamp.
Tourists gaze out at Lake Martin's open water while taking a ride with Champagne's Swamp Tours.
An alligator suns on a log in the cypress and tupelo swamp at Lake Martin.
A fisherman spend the afternoon in Lake Martin's open water.
An alligator peeks from beneath the vegetation growing around a parked party barge near the boat dock at Champagne's Swamp Tours at Lake Martin.