Lakes Play Key Role
In Arkansas Recreation
October 29, 1999
By Craig Ogilvie, travel writer
Department of Parks and Tourism
Water is a key ingredient for outdoor enthusiasts. Campers
are drawn to it, fishermen must have it, hikers prefer to walk
near it, and millions plan vacations around it. In Arkansas,
with over 600,000 acres of lakes, there’s plenty of space
for everyone’s favorite adventure.
The state’s eleven largest lakes cover about 300,000 acres.
Hundreds of smaller lakes, created by nature or by various federal,
state and private agencies, account for the other half. Together,
they offer a wet world of fun activities for residents and visitors
alike.
Until the earlier part of this century, all of Arkansas’s
larger lakes were natural "oxbow" impoundments along
the Mississippi and major interior rivers. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers introduced large man-made lakes to the state in
1942, when Nimrod Lake was completed in Yell and Perry counties.
While Corps projects were built primarily for flood control and
power generation, the lakes have provided excellent outdoor recreation
for more than 50 years. The final Corps of Engineers lakes were
completed in the 1970s, and have contributed immensely to Arkansas’s
tourism growth.
The lake projects were started during World War II and it was
a few years before the economic impact was realized. Norfork
and Bull Shoals lakes, deep in the Ozarks, changed the upper
White River forever and introduced the highly successful trout
fishing industry to the state.
Lake Norfork, encompassing 22,000 acres, was finished in 1944
on the North Fork River, a major tributary of the White. Almost
400 miles of shoreline and 19 public use parks provide space
for camping, scuba diving, fishing and relaxing. The lake has
a reputation for great bass, catfish, stripers, and crappie action.
A national trout hatchery, below Norfork Dam, offers public tours
and nearby North Fork River is an excellent float or fly-fishing
stream. A former world-record brown trout was taken from the
river in 1988.
Bull Shoals Lake, completed in 1951, is west of Mountain Home
on the main channel of the White River. Secured by the largest
concrete dam in the Ozarks, Bull Shoals covers 45,500 acres along
the Arkansas-Missouri border. Corps public use parks offer more
than 600 campsites around the 740-mile shoreline. Several state-records
have been taken from the lake’s impressive stock, which
includes a variety of bass, walleye, crappie and trout. For 100
miles below the massive dam, trout is the target with most river
anglers. Resorts and a state park are available to provide everything
needed to go after the rainbows and browns that make this stream
internationally known.
Beaver Lake, completed in 1966, is fed by the headwaters of the
White River and is peacefully situated in the wooded valleys
between Fayetteville and Eureka Springs. Surface acreage totals
almost 30,000 acres and the shoreline, highlighted by limestone
bluffs, winds some 450 miles. Over 600 campsites in ten public
use parks complement a wide range of accommodations in nearby
towns. Stripers, crappie, largemouth, white and Kentucky bass
are popular catches on the lake and fly-fishing is popular below
the dam.
In one of his last major appearances, President John F. Kennedy
dedicated Greers Ferry Lake on October 3, 1963. Today, the 40,000-acre
lake, stretching from Clinton to Heber Springs, is well known
for its luxury resorts, convention centers, great camping and
hiking, fishing and water recreation. It is also famous for its
cleanliness.
It was on Greers Ferry Lake in 1970 that a volunteer cleanup
program was started and became a model for the National Public
Lands Day, endorsed by Congress. The lake has received numerous
awards for its cleanliness and many are displayed in the William
Carl Garner Corps of Engineers Visitors Center at the western
end of Greers Ferry Dam. The Center is an excellent place to
start a visit to the region. Museum exhibits, video productions
and displays are free to the public.
Greers Ferry Lake offers 15 public use parks, over 1200 campsites
and plenty of marinas. The state-record walleye and hybrid bass
were caught on the lake and other species, including white bass,
largemouth, stripers, catfish and crappie provide plenty of action.
Three nationally-ranked nature trails, a federal fish hatchery
and world-class trout fishing are other reasons for the region’s
popularity. The current world-record brown trout (40-pounds,
four ounces) was hooked on the Little Red River, a few miles
below Greers Ferry Dam, in 1992. Resorts along the river and
lake shoreline are geared to handle every visitor’s needs.
Lake Dardanelle is in a class by itself. Located about half-way
between Little Rock and Fort Smith, the lake stretches some 50
miles as part of the $1.2 billion Arkansas River Navigation System.
It is an important link in the 450-mile project that extends
river commerce from the Mississippi River to near Tulsa, OK.
Some 250 Corps of Engineers campsites are available around the
lake, plus Dardanelle State Park welcomes visitors at two shoreline
locations. Largemouth, white and other bass species are tops
with anglers, but the lake also supports catfish, bream and crappie
populations.
The largest man-made reservoir in the state is Lake Ouachita,
near Hot Springs. Completed in 1953, the lake covers some 48,000
acres and extends up the Ouachita River valley more than 30 miles.
The lake is known for its great fishing, wilderness beauty, and
great shoreline facilities. Monster stripers, lunker bass and
other great species like walleye and crappie are favorite targets.
Recreational boating is also very popular on Lake Ouachita, which
boasts over 100 uninhabited islands. Rentals include houseboats,
sailing crafts, fishing rigs, and more. A state park (with cabins),
commercial marinas and resorts, plus more than 400 Corps campsites
contribute to one of the state’s finest outdoor destinations.
Other Hot Springs area lakes include Lake Catherine and Lake
Hamilton, both smaller and older Arkansas lakes, yet they provide
good fishing and great recreation at the Spa City’s doorstep.
Lake Catherine State Park is one of Arkansas’s historic
Civilian Conservation Corps projects that opened the parks system
during the 1930s.
DeGray Lake, near Arkadelphia, is one of the state’s newer
and most popular lakes. The 13,400-acre impoundment offers almost
600 campsites in more than a dozen parks, plus the luxury of
DeGray Lake Resort State Park Lodge. The 96-room facility overlooks
the lake from a wooded hillside and includes a modern conference
center, 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool, marina
and campgrounds.
The tri-lakes region in southwest Arkansas showcases Gillham,
Dierks, and DeQueen as smaller, but bountiful, recreational reservoirs.
Lake Greeson, north of Murfreesboro, is known for its scenic
wonders and boasts Daisy State Park along its northern shore.
Millwood Lake, north of Texarkana, covers 29,000 acres and has
long been a bass angler’s haven because much of the lake
is old timber stands. There are 230 Corps campsites and Millwood
State Park adds more camping and a full-service marina.
Nimrod, mentioned earlier, and Blue Mountain lakes are deep within
the west-central Ouachita Mountains. Both provide great retreat
areas for campers and fishermen.
Extreme south Arkansas offers two large lakes as part of management
areas. Lake Erling, south of Stamps, is adjacent to the Lafayette
Wildlife Management Area. And, the Felsenthal National Wildlife
Refuge, west of Crossett, contains Lake Jack Lee. Restricted
fishing is permitted on the refuge and camping areas are few.
Persons are encouraged to tour the Felsenthal Visitors Center
before venturing into the 65,000-acre preserve.
Lake Chicot is Arkansas’s largest natural body of water.
An old "oxbow" cutoff from the Mississippi, the lake
is east of Lake Village in extreme southeast Arkansas. Formed
centuries ago when the wandering river current decided to take
a new course, Lake Chicot has been a recreational retreat since
pioneer days. Great fishing and water sports have been its trademark
for generations. A state park, along the northern shore, is a
fine place to start an outdoor adventure. Birdwatching, fishing
or just relaxing are some of the park’s options. Camping,
cabins, picnic sites and marina are available.
For more information about the great lakes of Arkansas, call
1-800-NATURAL or visit the state’s website at www.arkansas.com.
For fishing information, call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
at 501-223-6300 or visit their website at www.agfc.state.ar.us.
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