Lake Ponca
Kay County, Oklahoma1,159 acresView mapDirections
Oklahoma DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Ponca. Here is what has been measured.
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Ponca in Kay County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Surface area: 1159 acres.
Lake Ponca is a 1,159-acre lake in Kay County, Oklahoma. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ODEQ, last sampled 2024-10-21. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Ponca is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water1,159 acres
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Ponca is safe to swim in today is a call for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Ponca
These are the measurements Oklahoma DEQ publishes for Lake Ponca, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.7 ft of visibility. TSI 63.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | No reading The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. | |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 63 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Lake Ponca
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
1,159 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Oklahoma DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Ponca, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Windmill CovePublic
- Ski DockPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Lake Ponca
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Fishing Lake Ponca
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Improving4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-134.82 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Ponca is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Ponca Lake (completed 1935), built primarily for water supply on the Turkey Creek; earth-type dam, 67 ft tall and 5,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,159 ac
- Normal storage
- 14,440 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 23,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 27.7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Ponca City
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OK11017 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Kay County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Ponca
Where is Lake Ponca?
- Lake Ponca is a lake in Kay County, Oklahoma. Its water-quality measurements are published by Oklahoma DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Ponca?
- Lake Ponca in Kay County, Oklahoma has water-quality measurements published by Oklahoma DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Surface area: 1159 acres.
Is Lake Ponca safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Ponca?
- Lake Ponca has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Windmill Cove, Ski Dock. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Ponca?
- Lake Ponca has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Oklahoma's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Lake Ponca across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
47 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2016–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- OWRB Lakes Monitoring
OKWRB-LAKES_WQX47 samples · 2016–2024
Analytical methods
- OWRB Lakes Field Data Collection
- Determination of Turbidity
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory