Overview
Canton Lake is a roughly 7,910-acre reservoir on the North Canadian River in Blaine and Dewey counties, about two miles north of Canton in northwestern Oklahoma. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Canton Dam; the conservation pool first filled in 1948. The lake is operated for flood control, water supply (including Oklahoma City), irrigation support, and recreation.
At normal pool the lake has on the order of 40–45 miles of shoreline, averages about 14 feet deep, and reaches roughly 35 feet in deeper holes. Broad open water, riverine upper ends, and wind-swept flats characterize this plains reservoir, and water-supply withdrawals can leave large shallow areas exposed in dry years.
Canton is a well-known fishery for walleye, white bass, crappie, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Corps parks, campgrounds, and boat ramps ring the lake, and nearby Canton Wildlife Management Area adds hunting and river access.
Water levels are managed by the Corps around a conservation pool of 1,615.4 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with flood-control storage to 1,638 feet. Because municipal withdrawals and North Canadian runoff both move the pool, monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and shoreline access.
Current Conditions
Canton Lake is currently 0.8 feet below full pool and has fallen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 0.20 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.84 ft
- Drought conditionsExtreme Drought
- Active advisories1 active (Notice)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Canton Lake is a 7,910-acre reservoir on the North Canadian River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.