Hugo Lake, Oklahoma, USA

Over 8,000 acres of open water await you at Hugo Lake, Oklahoma. Located in the beautiful Kiamichi Country of southeastern Oklahoma, this outdoor paradise lies in and around the Kiamichi Mountains and Kiamichi River, from which Hugo Lake was formed. The word “Kiamichi” was introduced by French explorers, but it is believed to be an Indian word that means “raucous bird” due to a noisy woodpecker that…
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    • All About Hugo Lake, OK

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

    Over 8,000 acres of open water await you at Hugo Lake, Oklahoma. Located in the beautiful Kiamichi Country of southeastern Oklahoma, this outdoor paradise lies in and around the Kiamichi Mountains and Kiamichi River, from which Hugo Lake was formed. The word “Kiamichi” was introduced by French explorers, but it is believed to be an Indian word that means “raucous bird” due to a noisy woodpecker that disturbed the French explorers during their first visit to the area. Hugo Lake was completed in 1974 by the Army Corps of Engineers and over the years has become a favorite recreation destination for residents and visitors alike.

    The county seat of Choctaw County, the city of Hugo, received its name from the wife of an early land surveyor who enjoyed the works of French novelist, Victor Hugo. She suggested to her husband that he name a newly surveyed area Hugo and hence Hugo Lake was named after that nearby city. The city and lake are located within the boundaries of the old Choctaw Nation. The Choctaw Indian Nation settled in this area after being exiled from their original home in the Mississippi area between 1831 and 1833.

    The Corps of Engineers operates many recreation areas around the 110 miles of shoreline of Hugo Lake. The recreational facilities include campgrounds, swimming, beaches, picnic areas, playgrounds, horse trails, bike trails and hiking trails. These facilities also offer a marina and numerous ramps to provide access to the lake for boating, skiing, speedboats, and fishing.

    Hugo Lake State Park is a favorite destination on Hugo Lake. This scenic park offers cabins with lake views for vacation rentals as well as a campground, picnic area, beach, hiking, biking and nature trails. In addition, there is an onsite marina that offers pontoon boat rentals.

    With 5000 acres of uncleared areas at the lake, fishing at Hugo Lake is an enjoyable quest. For easy access to the wide variety of species including largemouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bluegill, buffalo, carp and drum, boating lanes have been provided for fishermen.

    Hugo Lake is surrounded by thickly wooded areas with flowering shrubs, grasses and wildflowers that make up the Hugo Public Hunting Area and covers 18,196 acres of land and water for wildlife conservation. Most of the land is open to hunting but there are some restricted areas as a preservation area and offers nature lovers a great destination for snapping photographs of the wildlife and waterfowl that call the area home.

    Near Hugo Lake is the city of Hugo which offers the weary traveler vacation rentals from motels, cabins to bed and breakfast inns. For the history buff, sites of interest include museums of the railroad boom days, the life of the Choctaw and Fort Towson, where the very last treaty was signed ending the Civil War by Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie. A local cemetery is internationally famous for its special section reserved for Showman’s Rest dedicated as a resting place and monument to circus performers and their families complete with circus tents and animals.

    Whether you come for the peaceful views, the historical significance of just to have fun at Hugo Lake, your visit to Hugo Lake will be memorable.

    Things to Do at Hugo Lake

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

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Boating
    • Swimming
    • Beach
    • Camping
    • Campground
    • Picnicking
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Hiking
    • Biking
    • Horseback Riding
    • Hunting
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding
    • State Park
    • Museum
    • Playground

    What Kind of Fish Are in Hugo Lake?

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

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Bluegill
    • Carp
    • Catfish
    • Channel Catfish
    • Crappie
    • Flathead Catfish
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Spotted Bass
    • Sunfish
    • White Bass
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    Find Places to Stay at Hugo Lake

    If you’re considering a Hugo 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 Hugo Lake Vacation

    Our interactive Hugo 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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    Hugo Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

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

    Surface Area: 13,250 acres

    Shoreline Length: 110 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 405 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 390 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 438 feet

    Average Depth: 11 feet

    Maximum Depth: 52 feet

    Water Volume: 141,040 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1974

    Drainage Area: 1,709 sq. miles

    Trophic State: Eutrophic

    Hugo Lake Map
    Lake Water Level
    Local Weather Forecast

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