Where is Lake Thunderbird?

Lake Thunderbird is a lake in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water level at Lake Thunderbird?

The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Thunderbird is 1036.64 ft of gage height, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 07229900. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.

Are there boat ramps on Lake Thunderbird?

Lake Thunderbird has 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hog Creek, Little River State Park, Post Oak, Little Axe, among others. Public access is listed as yes.

Lake Thunderbird

Cleveland County, Oklahoma6,070 acresView map Directions

Nutrient-rich

Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.

↓ down from C at the last regrade

Water temp

No gauge

Clarity

1.7 ft

Secchi · sampled 2024

Level

1036.64 ft

USGS · Sep 7 · gage height

Trend

Stable

11 years of samples

Eutrophic
Impaired · Algal growth
#3 of 6 in the county
Public access
Limited data

See the measurements Directions Where to stay

Lake Thunderbird in Cleveland County, Oklahoma has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.7 µg/L. Surface area: 6070 acres.

Clarity: 1.7 ft
Area: 6,070 acres
Type: Eutrophic
Phosphorus: 59 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a: 28.7 µg/L
Trend: → Stable
Public access: Yes

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Stays via Stay22

Stays near Lake Thunderbird

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Thunderbird in Cleveland County, Oklahoma — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Lake Thunderbird are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Lake Thunderbird

Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Lake Thunderbird → · more Oklahoma lake trips

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Lake Thunderbird is a 6,070-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 6 public boat landings. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Cleveland County, Lake Thunderbird ranks #3 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ODEQ, last sampled 2024-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Lake Thunderbird is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

Boat launch6 documented ramps
Big water6,070 acres

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited data

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Thunderbird is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Lake Thunderbird →

Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)

Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 28.7 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1.7 ft	Not graded
Phosphorus	59 µg/L	Poor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	28.7 µg/L	Poor
Trophic State Index (TSI)	65	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Current Conditions

1036.64 ft

Gage Height

USGS snapshot Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM from gauge 07229900 (Lake Thunderbird near Norman, OK). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.

→ Lake Thunderbird water level: the live USGS gauge reading

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	6,070 acres
Public Access	Yes

No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Thunderbird, so its depth is not documented here.

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Hog CreekPublic
Little River State ParkPublic
Post OakPublic
Little AxePublic
132nd AvenuePublic
Lake Thunderbird BoathouseSemi-private

Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps

Fishing Lake Thunderbird

→ Lake Thunderbird fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: → Stable

Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Water Clarity	↑ Improving	+1.409 m/yr	11
Chlorophyll-a	↓ Declining	+1.05 µg/L/yr	7

See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Lake Thunderbird is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Norman Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Little River; earth-type dam, 144 ft tall and 7,260 ft long.

Surface area: 6,070 ac
Normal storage: 119,600 ac-ft
Max storage: 367,467 ac-ft
Drainage area: 257 sq mi
Hazard class: High
Owner: BUREAU OF RECLAMATION

All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Water Supply.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID OK02504 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Lake Thunderbird is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthMercuryOxygen depletion (low DO)Turbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OK520810000020_00 · Official waterbody report

County Ranking

Ranked #3 of 6 lakes in Cleveland County

Nearby Lakes in Cleveland County

DThunderbird Lake Fisherman'SEutrophic1.5 miView →DThunderbird Lake Hog CreekEutrophic2.4 miView →NRThunderbird Lake Indianhills4.4 miView →NRReynolds Lake—View →NRLake Stanley Draper4 ft clear—View →NRLazy Day Lake—View →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Thunderbird

Where is Lake Thunderbird?: Lake Thunderbird is a lake in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Thunderbird?: Lake Thunderbird in Cleveland County, Oklahoma has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.7 µg/L. Surface area: 6070 acres.
Is Lake Thunderbird safe to swim in?: The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Thunderbird is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water level at Lake Thunderbird?: The USGS snapshot on this page for Lake Thunderbird is 1036.64 ft of gage height, recorded Sep 7, 2026, 3:00 PM at gauge 07229900. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Thunderbird?: Lake Thunderbird has 6 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hog Creek, Little River State Park, Post Oak, Little Axe, among others. Public access is listed as yes.

Explore Lake Thunderbird across LakeQuality

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Oklahoma Lake Trips

Where to stay at Oklahoma's top lakes, each with its grade

Eutrophic Lakes

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

The State of Oklahoma's Lakes

Oklahoma's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked

More Oklahoma Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Oklahoma

Ranked by overall water quality grade

Clearest lakes in Oklahoma

Top 25 by Secchi water clarity

Best swimming lakes in Oklahoma

Grade A/B + low algae filter

Family fishing lakes in Oklahoma

Panfish-rich, public access

All Oklahoma lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade D Lakes in Oklahoma

Wes Watkins Reservoir

Pottawatomie County · 1.8 ft

Lake Konawa

Seminole County · 3.1 ft

Sportsman Lake

Seminole County · 6.2 ft

Wewoka Lake

Seminole County · 2.5 ft

Ft. Cobb Lake

Caddo County · Nutrient-rich

Lake Texoma

Marshall County · 1.7 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Oklahoma

Thunderbird Lake Nature Center Shawnee Twin Lake Wes Watkins Reservoir Arcadia Lake

Where this data comes from

2,276 measurements from 14 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

OWRB Lakes MonitoringOKWRB-LAKES_WQX2,272 samples · 2012–2024
Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma (Tribal)ABSHAWNEE4 samples · 2013

Analytical methods

OWRB Lakes Field Data Collection
10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Determination of Turbidity
Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
Phosphorus by Colorimetry

Monitoring station identifiers (14)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.