| Deep Creek Lake | |
|---|---|
|  Boats docked at a Deep Creek Lake dock in May 2008. | |
|   Deep Creek Lake   Deep Creek Lake | |
| Location | Garrett County, Maryland | 
| Coordinates | 39°30′34″N 79°23′28″W / 39.5095354°N 79.3911531°W | 
| Lake type | Reservoir | 
| Primary inflows | Deep Creek, Meadow Mountain Run, Cherry Creek, Green Glade Run | 
| Primary outflows | Deep Creek | 
| Catchment area | 64.7 sq mi (168 km2) | 
| Basin countries | United States of America | 
| Max. length | 11.25 mi (18.11 km) | 
| Max. width | 1.13 mi (1.82 km) | 
| Surface area | 3,628 acres (14.68 km2) | 
| Max. depth | 75 ft (23 m) | 
| Shore length1 | 69 mi (111 km) | 
| Surface elevation | 2,461 ft (750 m) | 
| Settlements | McHenry, Maryland | 
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Deep Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir[1] in the U.S. state of Maryland. It covers about 3,900 acres (16 km2) and has 69 miles (111 km) of shoreline.[2] The lake is home to a wide variety of aquatic life, such as freshwater fish and aquatic birds. The Wisp Ski Resort is located nearby.[3]
History
The lake is a result of the Youghiogheny Hydroelectric Company hydroelectric project on Deep Creek in the 1920s. Deep Creek Dam, located about 8 miles (13 km) north of Oakland, Maryland, consists of an earth and rock wall dam across a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. Construction of the dam began in 1923 and was completed in 1925. The hydroelectric plant became operational at 4 p.m. on May 26, 1925.[4] The state of Maryland purchased the lake in 2000 from the Pennsylvania Electric Company, and Deep Creek Lake State Park provides public access to the lake.[5]
Fishing

Climate
Deep Creek Lake has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb).
| Climate data for Sines Deep Creek, Maryland, 1991–2020 normals, 1928-2020 extremes: 2040ft (622m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year | 
| Record high °F (°C) | 73 (23) | 74 (23) | 82 (28) | 87 (31) | 88 (31) | 93 (34) | 96 (36) | 94 (34) | 95 (35) | 86 (30) | 78 (26) | 75 (24) | 96 (36) | 
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 54.8 (12.7) | 58.4 (14.7) | 70.2 (21.2) | 77.6 (25.3) | 83.7 (28.7) | 85.1 (29.5) | 87.2 (30.7) | 83.1 (28.4) | 83.2 (28.4) | 75.7 (24.3) | 68.6 (20.3) | 58.9 (14.9) | 87.5 (30.8) | 
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.0 (1.1) | 37.8 (3.2) | 46.9 (8.3) | 59.3 (15.2) | 67.9 (19.9) | 74.9 (23.8) | 79.0 (26.1) | 76.4 (24.7) | 71.5 (21.9) | 61.1 (16.2) | 48.5 (9.2) | 38.2 (3.4) | 58.0 (14.4) | 
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.3 (−3.7) | 27.7 (−2.4) | 35.7 (2.1) | 46.5 (8.1) | 55.7 (13.2) | 63.3 (17.4) | 67.6 (19.8) | 65.7 (18.7) | 59.8 (15.4) | 49.8 (9.9) | 38.8 (3.8) | 29.6 (−1.3) | 47.1 (8.4) | 
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) | 17.5 (−8.1) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 33.7 (0.9) | 43.5 (6.4) | 51.7 (10.9) | 56.2 (13.4) | 54.9 (12.7) | 48.0 (8.9) | 38.5 (3.6) | 29.0 (−1.7) | 21.0 (−6.1) | 36.2 (2.3) | 
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −3.3 (−19.6) | −1.1 (−18.4) | 7.7 (−13.5) | 20.0 (−6.7) | 28.9 (−1.7) | 39.3 (4.1) | 47.9 (8.8) | 45.0 (7.2) | 36.4 (2.4) | 27.2 (−2.7) | 15.5 (−9.2) | 8.0 (−13.3) | −4.2 (−20.1) | 
| Record low °F (°C) | −20 (−29) | −23 (−31) | −11 (−24) | 11 (−12) | 20 (−7) | 24 (−4) | 35 (2) | 35 (2) | 22 (−6) | 14 (−10) | −8 (−22) | −17 (−27) | −23 (−31) | 
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.65 (118) | 4.39 (112) | 4.67 (119) | 4.35 (110) | 4.90 (124) | 5.67 (144) | 5.01 (127) | 4.41 (112) | 3.29 (84) | 3.19 (81) | 3.36 (85) | 4.64 (118) | 52.53 (1,334) | 
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 31.7 (81) | 30.7 (78) | 16.0 (41) | 4.0 (10) | 0.1 (0.25) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.6 (6.6) | 6.2 (16) | 19.1 (49) | 110.4 (281.85) | 
| Source 1: NOAA(Mc Henry 4.8 SSE Precip/Snowfall)[7][8] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (2007-2020 snowfall, records & monthly max/mins)[9] | |||||||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ "Maryland's Lakes and Reservoirs: FAQ". www.mgs.md.gov.
- ↑ Meyer, Eugene L. (2007-09-14). "High-End Rustic on a Plateau in the Alleghenies". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
- ↑  Phillips, John. "Ski & Snowboard America Mid-Atlantic, 2nd". Retrieved 22 December 2010. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help)
- ↑ "Yough Dams". History of the Upper Yough. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
- ↑ "The History of Deep Creek". Power Plant Research Program. Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 14 May 2001. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Maryland Fish Facts". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
- ↑ "Sines Deep Creek, Maryland 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Mc Henry 4.8 SSE, Maryland 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ↑ "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
External links


- Maryland Park Service Deep Creek Lake
- Deep Creek Lake Discovery Center
- Deep Creek Lake Chamber of Commerce
- U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Deep Creek Lake