Lake Hudson, dam in Mayes County, Oklahoma
Lake Hudson, also known as Markham Ferry Reservoir, is a man-made reservoir in northeastern Oklahoma, near the towns of Locust Grove and Pryor. It sits on the Grand River and is held back by a combined concrete and earth dam that includes a power plant at its base.
The reservoir was created in the 1960s when a dam was completed on the Grand River as part of a state project to control flooding and produce electricity. The water backed up behind the dam transformed the surrounding land, turning river bottomlands into open water and wooded shoreline.
The reservoir takes its name from Washington E. Hudson, a lawyer and state legislator from Tulsa. Along the shores today, visitors find anglers, boaters, and families who gather at the wooded coves for picnics and swimming.
The reservoir can be visited year-round, though warmer months draw the most visitors for water sports and fishing. Snowdale State Park, just nearby, offers boat ramps, a swimming beach, and camping spots for both tents and RVs.
The reservoir is one of the few spots in Oklahoma where paddlefish gather in large numbers during spawning season, making it a well-known stop for snagging. Country singer Blake Shelton reportedly caught a notably large paddlefish near the dam, a story that anglers in the area still bring up today.
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