Lake Ellsworth (Oklahoma)
Lake Ellsworth is a lake in Caddo and Comanche counties in the state of Oklahoma in the United States.[1] It was built by the City of Lawton, Oklahoma in 1962, primarily to serve as a water supply source for Lawton and the surrounding area. The nearest community is Elgin, Oklahoma.[5]
| Lake Ellsworth | |
|---|---|
  Lake Ellsworth  Lake Ellsworth | |
| Location | Comanche / Caddo counties, Oklahoma, United States |
| Coordinates | 34.8224154°N 98.3537206°W[1] |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | East Cache Creek |
| Primary outflows | East Cache Creek |
| Catchment area | 251 sq mi (650 km2) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Managing agency | City of Lawton |
| Built | 1962 |
| Surface area | 5,600 acres (23 km2) |
| Average depth | 15.8 ft (4.8 m) |
| Max. depth | 54.2 ft (16.5 m) |
| Water volume | 59,470 acre-feet (73,360,000 m3) |
| Shore length1 | 53.5 mi (86.1 km) |
| Surface elevation | 1,207 ft (368 m) |
| Settlements | Apache, Elgin, Fletcher, Lawton |
| References | [2][3][4] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Description
Lake Ellsworth has a stream source from East Cache Creek, 53 miles (85 km) of shoreline, and encompasses 5,600 acres (23 km2).[6][7] The normal capacity is 59,470 acre-feet (73,360,000 m3)[5]
Recreation
Recreational activities allowed include fishing, wakeboarding, water skiing and jet skiing. Swimming is allowed in most of the lake, except near the dam, boat ramps and the boathouse. However, swimming is at the visitor's own risk, since there are no lifeguards.[8] Fishing and camping facilities are maintained by the City of Lawton, Oklahoma.[9]
Several species of fish live in the lake, including channel catfish, crappie, flathead catfish, largemouth bass, saugeye, sunfish, walleye and white bass. In 1999, a fisherman caught an 85-pound, 4-ounce Blue Catfish, which was the state record for that species at the time.[8]
References
- "Lake Ellsworth". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved Jan 15, 2021.
- "Oklahoma Water Resources Board Lake Map (2005) with recreation areas" (PDF). (746 kB)
- "Lake Ellsworth" (pdf). Oklahoma Water Resources Board ~ Beneficial Use Monitoring Program (BUMP). Oklahoma State Portal ~ OK.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
- "Lake Ellsworth Map". Oklahoma Water Resources Board ~ Lakes Of Oklahoma. Oklahoma State Portal ~ OK.gov. Retrieved 2012-10-21.
- "USGS 07308990 Lake Ellsworth near Elgin, OK". USGS. November 11, 2016. Accessed November 11, 2016
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: East Cache Creek
- Lake Ellsworth Oklahoma
- "Lake Ellsworth, Oklahoma, USA." lakelubbers.com. Accessed November 11, 2016.
- Lawton Boating-Fishing-Camping-Swimming-Hunting Regulations Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
External links
- Johnson, Kenneth S. (2009). "Lakes and Reservoirs". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society.
- Johnson, Kenneth S. (2009). "Rivers and Streams". Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. Oklahoma Historical Society.
- Johnson, Kenneth S.; Luza, Kenneth V. (2008). "Rivers, Streams, and Lakes of Oklahoma" (PDF). Oklahoma Geological Survey. University of Oklahoma.
- Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory