Whirlpools are pretty common in turbulent areas of rivers (rapids, base of waterfalls). In natural lakes, there are not many locations which would generate whirlpools, but in man-made reservoirs (like the lake in question), there are a few locations that can generate whirlpools.

Yes, whirlpools (or vortices) can and do form in lakes, though they are much less common and typically smaller than the tidal-driven "maelstroms" found in the ocean. In natural lakes, they can occur near turbulent areas like the base of a waterfall or where a powerful river enters a still body of water. However, the most prominent lake whirlpools are usually man-made or result from engineering disasters. A famous example is the 1980 Lake Peigneur disaster in Louisiana, where a drilling error punctured a salt mine beneath the lake, creating a massive vortex that drained the entire lake. In 2026, whirlpools are also frequently observed in man-made reservoirs near spillways or "bell-mouth" (glory hole) outlets during heavy drainage. While a lake might seem calm on the surface, underwater topography and artificial drainage systems can create dangerous downward currents that resemble whirlpools.