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Grand Lake in Oklahoma.jpg
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Lakes → Oklahoma → Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Oklahoma · Reservoir impounded 1940 · near Grove

46,500 acres 145 ft deep 6 ft clarity Water D
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5.2SCORE
Survey summary · Oklahoma
46,500
Surface acres
145 ft
Max depth
1,300 mi
Shoreline
6 ft
Typical clarity
745 ft
Elevation

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees covers 46,500 acres in Oklahoma and drops to 145 feet at its deepest point. It is a reservoir impounded in 1940 and managed by Grand River Dam Authority. Short-term rental posture: County rules. Confirm at the municipal level before underwriting rental income.

What stands out

  • Large open water, 46,500 acres
  • 1300 miles of shoreline
  • Boating
  • Fishing

Watch outs

  • Nutrient-rich water; seasonal algae blooms are possible

Score breakdown

WATER RECREATION VALUE ACCESS INVESTMENT
Water 4.1
Recreation 6.3
Value 3.5
Access 7.3
Investment 5.4

Each axis is computed by published formula from this lake's own attributes. How we score.

Water quality grade
Water A
ExcellentClear, low-nutrient water. Typically oligotrophic with high clarity and little seasonal algae.
Water B
GoodHealthy water with moderate clarity. Some seasonal variation, no persistent problems.
Water C
FairProductive water — good fishing, reduced clarity. Algae possible in late summer.
Water D
PoorNutrient-rich or heavily drawn down. Swimmable conditions vary; check before you rely on them.

Computed from measured clarity, trophic state, and drawdown magnitude — not an opinion. See the formula.

Overall score, 1–10
8.0+
ExceptionalStrong on every axis we measure.
7.0–7.9
StrongClearly above average, usually with one standout axis.
6.0–6.9
SolidA good lake with a trade-off worth understanding.
5.0–5.9
MixedReal strengths and real compromises.
Under 5
CompromisedSomething material — volatility, water quality, or access.

Weighted: water 26% · recreation 22% · investment 20% · value 18% · access 14%.

Fishery

Largemouth bassCrappieCatfishPaddlefish

On the water

BoatingFishingTournaments
No USGS gauge on this lake. We only publish a station when its own name matches this water body. Nearby gauges on other lakes would look like data and mislead you, so we show nothing instead. Why we do that.
744.20 ft
Gage height
2026-08-04

Gauge history

Daily values from USGS. Loading up to one year.

What the drawdown looks like

Full pool vs winter low · Grand Lake o' the Cherokees
5 ft FULL POOL WINTER LOW

The dock sits at full-pool elevation. At low pool the waterline retreats and the reach to navigable water changes. Scale is illustrative; the 5 ft figure is from published operations for this lake.

Where it is

Location

No NHD boundary matched this water body, so the marker shows the mapped centre point.

Depth profile

SURFACE 145 ft max avg 46 ft

Idealized cross-section. Max depth 145 ft, average 46 ft. Depth at a specific dock depends on local bathymetry — verify at the property.

Level behaviour

Level stabilityManaged Typical drawdown5 ft Drawdown seasonWinter Trophic stateEutrophic Typical clarity6 ft Water quality gradeD Elevation745 ft Managing authorityGrand River Dam Authority

Dock & shoreline

Permitting authorityGrand River Dam Authority Wake / speed rulesNo-wake in coves
A dock is never guaranteed. Confirm in writing with Grand River Dam Authority that the specific parcel is eligible before you remove contingencies.

Short-term rental posture

County rules

Generally permitted, but rules change. Confirm the specific municipality and any HOA covenant.
Model rental income →
Modeled estimates. Market figures are derived from lake attributes and regional patterns, not from MLS data. Treat them as a starting point, not a comp.
$500,000
Median waterfront
$4,559
Per shoreline foot
+0.6%
Year over year
68
Est. inventory
140
Avg days on market
$363
Est. nightly rate

Rental snapshot

Modeled occupancy41% Booked nights / yr108 Gross revenue$45,342 Net operating income$20,641 Yield on median price4.13%
Open the full model →

What a median-priced home on Grand Lake o' the Cherokees actually costs to carry, with waterfront-specific line items most calculators omit.

$4,267
All-in per month
$115,250
Cash to close + setup
$12,240
Beyond P&I, tax, insurance
Where the annual cost goes
$51,203 PER YEAR
Principal & interest $31,613 (64%) Maintenance reserve (1.1%) $5,500 (11%) Property taxes $5,250 (11%) Utilities $2,700 (5%) Hazard insurance $2,100 (4%) Shoreline / seawall reserve $960 (2%) Dock maintenance $900 (2%) Winterization / seasonal close $750 (2%)

Annual carry

Principal & interest$31,613
Property taxes$5,250
Hazard insurance$2,100
Flood insurance$650
Utilities$2,700
Maintenance reserve (1.1%)$5,500
Septic service$520
Well & water testing$260
Dock maintenance$900
Winterization / seasonal close$750
Shoreline / seawall reserve$960
Total$51,203
Model your own numbers →

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