Keystone Lake: 15 feet above normal and rising following April's record rainfall

Keystone Lake is now 15 feet above normal and rising, because of the record rainfall in April and flooding.

It's already causing flooding issues at several marinas around the lake, like Pier 51, where access is cut off at several docks and the restaurant already, because of the water level. For some, it's bringing back memories of the 2019 floods.

Flooding concerns ahead of 2025 summer season:

Pier 51 General Manager Sean Adair says, unfortunately, they are very familiar with flooding. He says right now it's manageable, as access is cut off to only a few of the docks and the restaurant, but the water is expected to rise in the coming days.

Adair has vivid memories of the 2019 floods when Keystone Lake hit a record high of more than 30 feet above normal. It wiped out a good chunk of the summer season at the lake.

"All off-season, we plan on three weekends. It's always Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July and Labor Day. Fourth of July, I call it our Super Bowl weekend," said Adair.

Adair says they are raising walkways out of the water and putting floats under them so people can still get to their boats. But, he says the lake is supposed to rise another seven to eight feet by next week, so it's a waiting game.

"The rate that this inflow hit us and that rain patterns just stayed over the top of us. I wasn't concerned at all until Tuesday night. I knew it was bad, but I did not expect this. It kind of caught us a little off guard. Being here as long as I have, I should have known better than to relax," said Adair.

How does this compare to the flooding in 2019?

Keystone Lake hit a record high of 757.3 feet above sea level in 2019, which is more than 30 feet above normal. This caused flooding issues around the lake and devastating flooding downstream along the Arkansas River.

Keystone Lake's current levels are 738 feet, which is 15 feet above normal. The lake has gone up about 10 feet since Tuesday.

"A waiting game"

Adair says they are doing all they can to ensure their customers can still access their boats. He says his main concern is electricity. If the water rises too high they have to shut off the power.

"A flood does not keep people from coming to this lake. It doesn't keep our customers from coming out. They are going to want to be here," said Adair. "We will shuttle customers back and forth. We won't keep them from going to their boats."

To see Oklahoma lake levels, click here.