Tenkiller Lake, Oklahoma, USA

Also known as:  Lake Tenkiller, Tenkiller Ferry Lake

Tenkiller Lake is an amazing place filled with fascinating history and natural beauty in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. There’s tons of fun to be had on this 12,900-acre reservoir with 130 miles of shoreline. The lake was formed in the 1950’s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Tenkiller Ferry Dam on the Illinois River for flood control and hydroelectric power generation. For…
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    • All About Tenkiller Lake, OK

    Lake Locations: USA - US Southwest Region - Oklahoma - Green Country, OK -

    Tenkiller Lake is an amazing place filled with fascinating history and natural beauty in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. There’s tons of fun to be had on this 12,900-acre reservoir with 130 miles of shoreline. The lake was formed in the 1950’s, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Tenkiller Ferry Dam on the Illinois River for flood control and hydroelectric power generation.

    For hundreds of years, the Tenkiller Lake area has been a place where Native Americans resided – first the Caddo and Osage, then the Cherokee nation. The lake got its unique name from the Tenkillers, a Cherokee family who owned land where the Tenkiller Ferry Dam was built. The Tenkiller name supposedly originated from a Cherokee warrior who had ten notches on his bow.

    Many opportunities await at the lake for outdoor enthusiasts. Anglers will find Tenkiller Lake and the Illinois River superb places to fish for bass, crappie, catfish, and walleye. Plus, there are a few heated fishing docks, so you don’t have to stop fishing even in the winter! The lake area is also popular with hunters in search of whitetail deer, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and squirrels.

    If you enjoy being on the water, options at this activity-friendly lake include sailing, power boating. waterskiing, jetskiing, and wakeboarding. The Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Oklahoma provide more than 20 recreation areas scattered around the shoreline, most with boat launch ramps. Three state parks – Tenkiller State Park, Cherokee Landing State Park, and Burnt Cabin Ridge State Park – offer swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, wildlife viewing, camping, and cabin rentals. The lake also contains many islands to explore; the most famous is named Goat Island for the goats that graze at the shoreline. In addition to camping and cabin rentals, lake accommodations include hotels, bed and breakfasts, lodges, and private home rentals. Dining options include three floating restaurants.

    Tenkiller Lake is known for its scuba diving with many interesting places for underwater exploration. A fun scuba diving park has a sunken school bus, boats, and an airplane fuselage. Another fascinating place to explore is an area of the lake that has some historic buildings from a flooded town. Some of Lake Tenkiller’s islands also make great places for scuba diving exploration.

    The area surrounding Tenkiller Lake has interesting attractions, too. Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge and Cookson Game Refuge are excellent places to spot various creatures in the wild, including bald eagles, elk, deer, and bobcats. If you enjoy hiking, there are interesting trails to explore, such as the Standing Rock Nature Trail and the Buzzard Roost Trail.

    If you like history, there are various historic sites you can visit in some of the nearby towns. The Cherokee Heritage Center and the Fort Gibson Military Park are two interesting places to explore some of the area’s amazing history.

    Tenkiller Lake and the surrounding area have many attractions for all interests and ages. If you want to enjoy adrenaline-pumping water activities or just relax and appreciate the scenery, Tenkiller Ferry Lake is the place to be in northeast Oklahoma’s Green Country.

    Things to Do at Tenkiller Lake

    These are some activities in the Tenkiller Lake, OK area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Sailing
    • Swimming
    • Water Skiing
    • Wakeboarding
    • Scuba Diving
    • Camping
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Hiking
    • Biking
    • Hunting
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding
    • National Wildlife Refuge
    • State Park

    What Kind of Fish Are in Tenkiller Lake?

    Tenkiller Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Catfish
    • Crappie
    • Perch
    • Walleye
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    Find Places to Stay at Tenkiller Lake

    If you’re considering a Tenkiller Lake lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Tenkiller Lake Vacation

    Our interactive Tenkiller Lake lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Tenkiller Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

    Surface Area: 12,900 acres

    Shoreline Length: 130 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 632 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 0 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 667 feet

    Maximum Depth: 165 feet

    Water Volume: 677,000 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1953

    Drainage Area: 1,610 sq. miles

    Trophic State: Eutrophic

    Tenkiller Lake Map
    Lake Water Level
    Local Weather Forecast

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