Overview
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir (often listed simply as Kerr Reservoir) is a roughly 43,800-acre navigation and hydropower pool on the Arkansas River in Leflore, Muskogee, Sequoyah, and Haskell counties, about eight miles south of Sallisaw. It was created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) for navigation, hydropower, and related purposes.
At the power pool the reservoir has about 250 miles of shoreline and an average depth near 12 feet, with a broad, irregular shape formed by the Arkansas River and tributary arms. Unlike deep storage lakes upstream, Kerr is a relatively stable, riverine navigation pool with extensive shallow flats and flooded lowlands.
The lake supports fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, and white bass, plus boating tied to the navigation system, with fisheries managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Corps recreation areas, locks, and public ramps provide access along the Arkansas River corridor. It should not be confused with GRDA's Robert S. Kerr Dam at Lake Hudson.
The Corps holds a comparatively stable power/navigation pool near 460 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with only a small pondage band for generation. Elevations still respond to Arkansas River traffic, upstream reservoir releases, and floods, so monitoring current lake levels helps with navigation, fishing, and shoreline use.
Current Conditions
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir is currently 0.38 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 0.26 ft
- 30-day changeUp 0.24 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate Drought
- Active advisories1 active (Advisory)
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir is a 43,796-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.