[2] The lake was formed from Stony Creek in 1963 (62 years ago) (1963) upon the completion of Black Butte Dam[1] by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The dam is located approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) west of Orland.

At full pool, the lake is 7 miles (11.3 km) long and has a shoreline of 40 miles (64.4 km) and a surface area of 4,460 acres (18 km2).

The dam and lake were constructed for flood protection for local towns and agricultural lands.

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment released a warning regarding eating fish caught from this lake based on the elevated mercury level.