Lake Tenkiller
Lake Tenkiller
Located on the Illinois River just south of Tahlequah, Lake Tenkiller offers a diverse range of outdoor recreational activities. Also known as Tenkiller Ferry Lake, this natural Cookson Hills feature reaches up into Sequoyah and Cherokee Counties. Anglers can spend hours baiting bass species, crappie, catfish, bream, walleye and rainbow trout. West of the lake, hunters can look out for deer, quail, dove, duck, geese, rabbit and squirrel living within 2,590 acres of Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation's project land.
Stay awhile at Lake Tenkiller, and pitch a tent or park your RV along 130 miles of shoreline. Public-use areas provide easy access to the shoreline via facility boat ramps, and private resorts in the Burnt Cabin, Caney Creek and Tenkiller State Park areas operate fishing dock concessions. Guests of all ages are invited to make a splash at the swimming beaches. Be sure to prepare a picnic lunch and cool off with drinking water available before hitting the nature trails, playground and swimming pool. Visitors can take advantage of additional onsite amenities, including group shelters, restrooms, showers, electric outlets, concession services, marinas, cabins, enclosed fishing docks and boat rentals.
Scuba divers also consider Lake Tenkiller one of the best places to dive into the state, as its waters are clear from eight to twenty-eight feet. Tenkiller Scuba Park is a diver's dream, with sunken vehicles, planes and boats awaiting underwater exploration. In some areas of the lake, divers can discover the remains of homesteads and artifacts left behind from times before the lake was formed. After glimpsing local history at the bottom of Lake Tenkiller, divers can take in the diverse underwater terrain, ranging from mildly sloping hills to rock cliffs. The water reaches 165 feet deep at its peak, and with an Oklahoma fishing license, divers seeking a thrill can try their luck at spearfishing for non-game fish. Two diving pro shops are located on the lake, offering training, certification and equipment rental.
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