Lake Wister, Reservoir in Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States

Lake Wister is a large reservoir in southeastern Oklahoma created by damming the Poteau River. The water is bordered by wooded shores and open spaces, providing ample room for fishing, boating, and camping throughout the surrounding area.

Lake Wister was authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1938 and built by the Tulsa District Corps of Engineers at a cost of $10.5 million. Construction began in April 1946 and the reservoir reached full flood-control operation in December 1949, damming the Poteau River and Fourche Maline creek. It now forms part of Lake Wister State Park.

The lake is named after the nearby town of Wister. Before Oklahoma statehood the surrounding land lay in Sugar Loaf County, part of the Moshulatubbee District of the Choctaw Nation, and prehistoric Native American mounds stand in the area around the water.

The lake is easily reached via US 270 and sits about two miles south of the town of Wister. There are boat ramps, nearby campgrounds with tent and RV sites, and local shops where you can obtain fishing gear and supplies before spending a day on the water.

Lake Wister drains 993 square miles (2,570 km2) of the Poteau River and Fourche Maline watershed, and its normal pool sits at 478 feet (146 m) above sea level, with a maximum of 503 feet (153 m) during floods. The reservoir holds a design volume of 61,423 acre-feet (75,764,000 m3).