SURFACE ACRES: 17,000
AVG DEPTH (ft): 26
LOCATION: 7 Miles East of Ponca City
COUNTY: Osage and Kay
DATE IMPOUNDED: 1976
OPERATOR: Corps of Engineers
PHONE: 405/762-5611
PRIMARY USES: Flood control, municipal and industrial water supply, hydropower, recreation, fish and wildlife.
PUBLIC USE FACILITIES: Boat ramps, camping, picnicking, two swim beaches, sanitary facilities, hiking trails and two marinas. Boat ramps and camping facilities below dam.
NOTABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE OR FISHERY: Noted primarily for good white crappie, white bass, channel catfish, blue catfish and flathead catfish fishing. Also, fair to good striped bass fishery in tailwater.
| Sport Fish |
Total Abundance |
Quality Size Abundance |
Quality Size |
| Largemouth Bass | Below average | High | >14" |
| White Crappie | Moderate | Moderate | >8" |
| White Bass | High | High | >12" |
| Walleye | Below average | Below average | >16" |
| Channel Catfish | Below average | Moderate | >16" |
| Blue Catfish | Moderate | High | >16" |
SPECIAL REGULATIONS: A 14 inch minimum length limit on black bass and a 18 inch minimum length limit on walleye.
HABITAT TYPES STATUS AND IMPROVEMENTS: Some standing timber in Beaver Creek arm and in coves on east side of lake. Large areas of rock rip-rap on earthen road and dam fills. Large areas of sandy, clay and silt bottoms. Marked fish attractors include 7 tire reefs, one sunken boat and 6 brush piles.
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY: To continue to stock striped bass, paddlefish and lake strain smallmouth bass and evaluate their success. Continue the 2.5 foot winter drawdown to lessen impact of spring water level fluctuations on bass spawning.
OTHER COMMENTS: Lake strain smallmouth bass have been introduced but numbers remain low. Paddlefish introductions started in 1991 have been very successful.