Overview
Stockton Lake is a roughly 24,900-acre reservoir on the Sac River in Cedar, Dade, and Polk counties in southwestern Missouri. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Stockton Dam and began filling the lake in 1969. The project provides flood risk management, hydroelectric power, water supply, water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, and recreation.
At multipurpose pool Stockton has about 298 miles of largely undeveloped, tree-covered shoreline, averages near 24 feet deep, and reaches about 100 feet in the deepest water near the dam. The V-shaped basin follows the Sac and Little Sac arms through the transition between Ozark hills and western Missouri prairie, and Corps ownership keeps most of the shoreline free of private docks and lakeside subdivisions.
The lake is known for clear water, sailing, camping, and fishing for walleye, crappie, black bass, white bass, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Missouri Department of Conservation, which also leases large blocks of project land. Corps parks, marinas, and boat ramps provide public access around Stockton and the surrounding counties.
Water levels on Stockton Lake are managed by the Corps of Engineers around a multipurpose pool of 867 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with a flood-control pool extending to 892 feet. The reservoir works with Truman Lake and other Osage Basin projects for downstream flood protection and power, so elevations shift with rainfall and generation—monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and shoreline use.
Current Conditions
Stockton Lake is currently at full pool and has been falling over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 1.55 ft
- 30-day changeDown 4.94 ft
- Drought conditionsNo Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Stockton Lake is a 24,900-acre reservoir on the Sac River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Kansas City District).