Lake Oahe is a large reservoir behind Oahe Dam on the Missouri River beginning in central South Dakota and continuing north into North Dakota in the United States. The lake has an area of 370,000 acres (1,500 km2) and a maximum depth of 205 ft (62 m). By volume, it is the fourth-largest reservoir in the US. Lake Oahe has a length of approximately 231 mi (372 km) and has a shoreline of 2,250 mi (3,620 km). 51 recreation areas are located along Lake Oahe, and 1.5 million people visit the reservoir every year. The lake is name for the 1874 Oahe Indian Mission.
Species of fish in the reservoir include walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, and smallmouth bass. Chinook Salmon, native to the Pacific Northwest, are artificially maintained in Lake Oahe and are a popular target for anglers. The lake also supports populations of the endangered pallid sturgeon.
Lake Oahe begins just north of Pierre, South Dakota and extends nearly as far north as Bismarck, North Dakota. Mobridge, South Dakota is located on the eastern shore of the central portion of the lake. Bridges over Lake Oahe include US Route 212 east of Gettysburg, South Dakota and US Route 12 at Mobridge.
Both the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation cover much of the western shoreline of Lake Oahe. Two possible burial sites of Sitting Bull, a Sioux leader, are located along Lake Oahe. One is near Fort Yates, North Dakota, while the other is near Mobridge.
by comparison
Lake Erie
area of 9,940 square miles (25,745 km²) with a length of 241 miles (388 km) Depth 210 feet...
