Bald eagles back on Grand Lake nest: How to see them

LANGLEY, Okla. — Pensacola Dam’s resident bald eagles are back home.

Their nest, located below the Pensacola Dam’s main spillway, has again prompted the Grand River Dam Authority to close access to the area surrounding that nest as it has done in previous years. 

For those interested in viewing the eagle activity below the dam, GRDA recommends doing so from the designated “Eagle Pass” area on the west side of the spillway channel. Bald eagles will hunt small fish, often snatching them off the water's surface or even stealing them from other birds. The best time to watch the birds feed is early morning throughout January and February.  

“This has been a productive location for this nesting pair since it was established in 2020,” said GRDA Biologist Stephen Nikolai in a prepared statement. 

Since the nesting area was established, this pair has produced healthy offspring almost yearly.

"We would like to thank visitors for giving the eagles space to rear their young in peace while enjoying recreational activities in the spillways,” Nikolai said.

Management guidelines established by the United States Fish & Wildlife Service recommend closing access around nests to allow for a buffer zone of 330 to 660 feet between the nest and public access, depending on exact locations and topography.

The restricted area below Pensacola Dam is approximately three-quarters of a mile south of the main spillway.

Signs prohibiting trespassing as well as orange construction barrels are placed along the perimeter. Any entry into the nesting area is trespassing and trespassers are subject to citations or arrest by GRDA law enforcement.

Disturbing a nest violates the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which could result in a criminal fine of $100,000.