Overview
Lake Tenkiller (Tenkiller Ferry Lake) is a roughly 13,000-acre reservoir on the Illinois River in Cherokee and Sequoyah counties, about seven miles northeast of Gore and southeast of Tahlequah in eastern Oklahoma. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed Tenkiller Ferry Dam; the conservation pool filled in the mid-1950s and was later raised to 632 feet NGVD. Authorized purposes include flood control, hydropower, water supply, navigation support, and recreation.
The lake extends about 25 miles up the Illinois River, with roughly 147 miles of shoreline, an average depth near 51 feet, and a maximum depth around 145 feet near the dam. Clear Ozark highland water, rocky bluffs, and limited aquatic vegetation define Tenkiller's physical character.
Tenkiller is one of Oklahoma's "Big Three" destination lakes for diving, skiing, and fishing for black bass, crappie, and striped bass, and the cold tailwater supports a popular year-round trout fishery. Fisheries are managed by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, with state parks, Corps areas, marinas, and public ramps around the lake.
Water levels are managed by the Corps around a conservation/power pool of 632 feet above mean sea level (NGVD29), with flood-control storage extending to 667 feet. Hydropower needs and Illinois River floods can produce large annual swings, so monitoring current lake levels is especially important for boating, diving, and shoreline access.
Current Conditions
Lake Tenkiller is currently 1.75 feet below full pool and has been falling over the past week.
- 7-day trendFallingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeDown 1.30 ft
- 30-day changeDown 3.56 ft
- Drought conditionsModerate 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.
Lake Tenkiller is a 12,988-acre reservoir on the Illinois River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.