Lake Taneycomo is a man-made lake or

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

on the White River in the

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...

Taney County, Missouri Taney County is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 56,066. Its county seat is Forsyth. It is included in the Branson, Missouri, Micropolitan Statistical Area. ...

. The reservoir's name is a portmanteau for the county and state in which it is located: ''Taney Co''unty, ''MO''. Lake Taneycomo originated when the White River was confined by the completion of the

Powersite Dam Powersite Dam is a hydroelectric dam that went into service in 1913 in Forsyth, Missouri. It is found along the White River, and the reservoir it forms is Lake Taneycomo. It was the first hydroelectric dam built in Missouri. Designed in 1911 ...

, near

Forsyth, Missouri Forsyth is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,730 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Taney County. The town is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area. Forsyth is located on Lake T ...

, in 1913. From 1913 until 1958 it was a warm water lake. In the 1920s and 1930s, tourists began to be drawn to the lake and its nearby communities,

Branson Branson may refer to: Places ;Canada * Branson, Toronto ;United States * Branson, Missouri, a popular tourist destination in the Ozark Mountains * Branson, Colorado * Branson City, California * The Branson School, in Ross, California * Warrenpoi ...

and Rockaway Beach. Water skiing, boating, fishing, sunning and swimming drew folks to the warm waters of Lake Taneycomo. Restaurants, lodging and amusement attractions such as bumper cars and skee ball were plentiful in the towns along the lake. The completion of Table Rock Dam in 1958 changed the source of water to Taneycomo from that of the White River's flowing waters to the bottom tailwater of

Table Rock Lake Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in the Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas in the United States. Designed, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the lake is impounded by Table Rock Dam ...

from the dam spillway and made it into a cold water lake. The clear cold waters from the deep tailwaters of Table Rock Lake pour out of the dam into Lake Taneycomo. The cold water made swimming and water sports undesirable. Tourism declined sharply in Rockaway Beach and started shifting to Branson and Table Rock Lake. Although tourism declined, fishermen found that the chilly water of Lake Taneycomo made it one of the top trout fishing lakes in the country. In 1957, the

Missouri Department of Conservation The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Commission were created by Article IV Sections 40-42 of the Missouri Constitution, which were adopted by the voters of the state in 1936 as Amendment 4 to the constitution ...

constructed the Shepherd of the Hills Trout Hatchery. All methods of

trout fishing Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salmoni ...

—

fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling method that uses a light-weight lure—called an artificial fly—to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. The light weight requires casting techniques significantly diffe ...

, artificial bait, and live bait fishing — may be used year-round to pursue trout that inhabit the waters of Lake Taneycomo. Lake Taneycomo has the characteristics of both a river and a lake. The shallow colder water, located near the Table Rock Dam, averages , resembles a river and permits wading and bank fishing for trout. The average temperature of the water gets warmer and the depth of the lake deepens to more than near the Powersite Dam in Forsyth. When Table Rock Dam is generating power its current is very strong throughout its whole length, its water temperature drops, and for all practical purposes it becomes a very deep, cold, fast running river. Exactly how deep, cold, and fast depends on how many generators are being used to generate electricity at Table Rock Dam. Lake Taneycomo offers a variety of recreational activities including hiking, sightseeing, hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, and water skiing. People accessing Lake Taneycomo are able to visit area restaurants, accommodations, shopping, and shows in the Branson area.

References

External links

Showmelakes: Lake Taneycomo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taneycomo, Lake Buildings and structures in Taney County, Missouri Protected areas of Taney County, Missouri Reservoirs in Missouri White River (Arkansas–Missouri) Lakes of the U.S. Interior Highlands Bodies of water of the Ozarks Ozarks Bodies of water of Taney County, Missouri