The 245-acre lake located three miles south of Concordia was constructed in 1967 and dedicated on May 26, 1968, in honor of Edwin A. Pape, a former mayor of Concordia who, along with many others, was dedicated to seeing the lake created to help supply the city with water. The lake has 12.6 miles of shoreline and a storage capacity of 1.12 billion gallons. It drains a watershed of approximately 5,340 acres and also which consists of rural agricultural farmland, grass pasture, and forested area. Over the years, the lake has become home for a variety of wildlife, including pelicans, eagles, and Canadian geese.

Shelters may be reserved by contacting Concordia City Hall at (660) 463-2228.

A special use permit is required for fishing; these permits are available at the following locations:

The lake also provides good waterfowl hunting during the fall. Contact Concordia City Hall at (660) 463-2228 for rules and information about duck hunting at the lake.

The Missouri Department of Conservation now manages the lake for fishing and has added improvements, such as a boat ramp and handicapped fishing jetty.