Lake Oahe

Lake Oahe runs for 231 miles from Pierre in South Dakota to Bismarck in North Dakota and offers 2,250 miles of shoreline. The water reaches depths of 205 feet in some sections.

The Oahe Dam was built in the 1960s and backed up the Missouri River. This created one of the largest man-made lakes in the midwestern United States.

The reservoir takes its name from a mission founded in 1874 among the Lakota people. Two large Native American reservations lie along the western shore and continue to shape the region along the Missouri.

Fifty-one recreation areas lie around the shoreline and offer places for fishing, camping, boating, and swimming. The facilities serve visitors who want to take part in water sports or stay overnight in nature.

Biologists maintain an artificial population of Chinook salmon here, even though this species normally lives in the Pacific. The reservoir also holds rare pallid sturgeon, an endangered species from the Missouri system.

Location: South Dakota

Location: North Dakota

Elevation above the sea: 502 m

GPS coordinates: 44.45111,-100.40222

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:23