Broken Bow Lake
US Army Corps Of Engineers Reservoir On Mountain Fork River, Impounded 1968; Shoreline Mostly State Park And Forest · Broken Bow, Oklahoma
A 14,000-acre reservoir in the Ouachita foothills of south-eastern Oklahoma, made in 1968 when the Corps of Engineers dammed Mountain Fork River, and the clearest big lake in the state: the water comes off rock and pine rather than red clay, so it runs green and visible for several feet, unlike most Oklahoma lakes. Pine ridges rise straight from 180 miles of shoreline with almost no development on the water itself, because most of the land around it is state park, Corps land or forest. Marinas at Beavers Bend and Stevens Gap rent pontoons and fishing boats, and anglers come for largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish and stocked trout in the cold tailwater below the dam. The Hochatown strip of cabins, restaurants and wineries lies along Highway 259A on the lake's west side, and Beavers Bend State Park holds the main campgrounds and cabins.
Broken Bow Lake, US Highway 259 north of Broken Bow, Broken Bow, Oklahoma, 74728, United States
The lake is open all the time; state park access points, marinas, campgrounds and rentals keep their own seasonal hours, and the Beavers Bend park office opens about 8 AM-5 PM (check travelok.com or call 580-494-6300).