Lake Bruin State Park

Lake Bruin was originally part of the Mississippi River before it changed its course. The lake gets its name from Peter Bryan Bruin who owned a plantation next to the lake. During the 1920s, the lake and the area around it was sold to the state by the Debusant family.

The park itself was initially a fish hatchery operated by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from 1928 until 1956. The fish hatchery had not been used for about 15 years^[2] when it was added to the State Parks System as Lake Bruin Wayside Park, the name was later changed to just Lake Bruin State Park.^[3][4]

Improvements began February 1, 1957, and including clearing, cleaning, and sodding about 40 acres of the park for "concessions and recreational purposes."^[2] Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts contributed volunteer hours to the project.^[2]

Activities at the park include fishing, boating, swimming, camping, and birding.^[5] The park features picnic tables, three fishing piers, a playground, a bathhouse, washrooms, boat rentals, a boat launch, rentable cabins, and campsites with electricity and running water.^[6]

The park is home to many species of birds, including Red-bellied woodpecker, Wood duck, Pied-billed grebe, American coot, Swamp sparrow, and Belted kingfisher. Lake Bruin features largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill, longear sunfish, and redspotted sunfish. Baldcypress is the major tree in the park.