Geographically Speaking Lake Texoma spreads across the border of Oklahoma and Texas, right in the confluence of the Red River (flowing from the west)
and the Washita River (raging from the north).
These two renown rivers have formed channels up to 100 feet deep in certain areas, making Texoma one of the Nation’s deep-water reservoirs. Lake Texoma flaunts its 580+ miles of shoreline and 89,000-acre surface area to all types of water enthusiasts! It is a brimming mass of tidal proportions compounded by the Denison Dam approximately 15 miles southwest of Durant, Oklahoma.
Texoma was constructed amidst the chaos of World War II, partially by German Prisoners of War. These prisoners were housed at labor camps just outside of Tishomingo, Ok. in an area that soon became a Wildlife Refuge as it was flooded with the creation of the dam. These concrete houses can still be seen today! Well…the tops of the houses can still be seen in an area of the lake accessible only by watercraft, “The House Tops,” are known by many to be a Crappie Haven!
Construction of the dam was completed in January of 1944 with a price tag of $54,000,000. The two generators were installed in September; five years later with the primary purpose of controlling the damage and destruction of annual flooding in the region. Hydropower, and water supply were secondary purposes for the dam’s creation, but it was not until recently that Congress recognized the potential that recreation would play in Lake Texoma’s future as it attracts an estimated 6 million tourists to the area annually!
It is in part due to the sheer size of Lake Texoma’s surface area that make’s it such a popular tourist destination, but credit can also be given to its central location between to great metropolitan areas. As mentioned before Lake Texoma was amassed across the border of Oklahoma and Texas. This puts it almost exactly in the middle of the Oklahoma City and Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area. From either location one is looking at an approximate 90-minute drive to the shores of Texoma, an easy and acceptable drive for a weekend getaway! Visitors of all kinds can look to enjoy themselves amidst Texoma’s two wildlife refuges, 54 parks managed by the United States Corp. of Engineers, 12 Marinas, hundreds of campgrounds, and several different golf courses.
Lake Texoma is renowned for its striped-bass fishery. Stocked in the late 1960’s, Texoma has become a prime habitat for these great finned fighters. This is due largely to the amounts of saltwater flowing into the lake from the Red River. Here the striped-bass population have not only self-sustained they’ve THRIVED! It is one of the very few inland lakes inside the U.S. where the “Striper” can reproduce naturally and not have to be farmed and stocked! Make sure when fishing Texoma that you have properly licensed yourself as there is no reciprocal fishing license agreement between Oklahoma and Texas. Depending on where you find yourself fishing you could need a license for the other state. To rid this confusion The Lake Texoma Fishing License was made available in 1979 for those hoping to fish the entire lake! Currently it only costs $12.
The Texoma Region has become popular not only with the tourist industry, but with people looking to settle down in the lake area. In the past year approximately 257 listings were sold on the Oklahoma side of Lake Texoma. Currently there approximately 170 listings near the shores of Lake Texoma waiting for new owners!