The portage trail along the bayou became the "Grand Route St. John" which eventually was replaced by the wide, straight Esplanade Avenue.

In the summer of 1955, the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board temporarily drained the Bayou, to clean out debris and material that was causing foul odors.

Since then, the Bayou has been a picturesque body of water with small earthen levees on either side, forming a narrow park space in the city.

The banks of Bayou St. John are an important meeting place for the downtown Mardi Gras Indian tribes for their "Super Sunday" parade after Carnival.

Officially opened in 2015, the Lafitte Greenway now runs along the corridor previously occupied by the Carondelet Canal, with a prominent roundabout at the foot of the Bayou.