Reelfoot Lake

There is only one large natural lake in Tennessee. It straddles the Lake Co. / Obion Co. border just a few miles from the Mississippi River.

Some scientists speculate that Reelfoot Lake formed as a result of the massive New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 – 1812. Their theory does fall within the realm of possibility. Earthquakes severely rocked this region historically and the town of New Madrid itself sits but a stone’s throw away.

Unstable glacial loess from previous Ice Ages underlies a great deal of this area. Naturally, earthquakes would have the power to change the surrounding terrain. The New Madrid earthquake actually caused the Mississippi River to reverse course briefly. So the theory postulates that resulting floods filled the newly sunken earth to form Reelfoot Lake. Today it is the location of a State Park, a natural setting with abundant fishing and hunting. The New Madrid fault remains dormant but could someday strike again.