The 282 foot (86 m) high dam was built between 1964 and 1974. It is a combination earth and rock-fill dam. Hydropower production began in 1977. As of 2006, it produced an average annual energy of 67 gigawatt hours of hydroelectricity.
The Army Corps of Engineers and the Forest Service cooperate on developing recreational facilities around the reservoir. Today most of the lake is managed by the Forest Service as part of Daniel Boone National Forest. The Army Corps of Engineers manages the operation of the dam itself, and runs recreational facilities at the dam.
Laurel River Lake's drainage area is 282 square miles (730 km2). The area of the lake changes based on how full it is, but it is about 19 miles (31 km) long, with 206 miles (332 km) of shoreline. Its area ranges from about 5,600 to 6,060 acres (22.7 to 24.5 km2), with a maximum flood control size of 6,650 acres (26.9 km2). It has a maximum depth of 85 meters. The reservoir's storage capacity (volume) also changes, but is about 435,000 acre-feet (0.537 km3).
