Lake Taneycomo is a man-made lake or reservoir on the White River in the Ozark Mountains of Taney County, Missouri . The reservoir's name is a portmanteau for the county and state in which it is located: Taney Co unty, MO .
7-630: Lake Taneycomo originated when the White River was confined by the completion of the Powersite Dam , near Forsyth, Missouri , 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 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
14-676: A river and a lake. The shallow colder water, located near the Table Rock Dam, averages 48 °F (9 °C), 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 50 feet (15 m) 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
21-414: 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
28-661: The Empire District Electric Company . Originally constructed to provide 4 megawatts of 25 hertz power, it has since been upgraded to provide 16 megawatts of 60 hertz power. Sixty hertz is now the standard frequency of electric power in North America , though the old 25 hertz power distribution was more efficient, having less losses . 36°39′34″N 93°07′29″W / 36.6594°N 93.1247°W / 36.6594; -93.1247 This Taney County, Missouri state location article
35-642: The Branson area. 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 by Nils F. Ambursen as the largest concrete buttress dam of its kind, the dam is still privately owned by
42-616: 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 constructed the Shepherd of the Hills Trout Hatchery. All methods of trout fishing — fly fishing , 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
49-634: 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 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
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