Lakes in Arkansas

1. Beaver Lake, Arkansas

Beaver Lake is a human-made reservoir and picturesque lake along the White River in the Ozark Mountains with a beautiful shoreline featuring of towering limestone cliffs, vegetation-fringed caves and caverns, and mature trees.

The 12,800-hectare lake at the head of the White River not only supplies drinking water to Northwest Arkansas and controls flooding of its surrounding valley and towns, but is also an excellent place for canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding.

Boasting over 400 miles of shoreline, majestic limestone bluffs, hidden natural caves, and crystal-clear waters, Beaver Lake is a popular tourist destination, with visitors flocking to its shores to enjoy camping, hiking, mountain biking, picnicking, fishing, and swimming.

2. Beaverfork Lake

Located in the college town of Conway and known as the gateway of the Ozarks in Arkansas’ main tourism region, Beaverfork Lake is a popular lake for water recreation such as pleasure boating, kayaking, and swimming, attracting local college students, residents, and visitors alike. The 15-foot deep lake is home to bass, bluegill, crappie, and catfish and offers excellent fishing. Beaverfork Lake is home to the 25-acre Beaverfork Park, which is the city's largest park and packed with things to do, including sanded volleyball courts, a lighted softball field, two pavilions and picnic areas, a children’s playground, a concession stand, and a protected swimming area.

3. Blue Mountain Lake, Arkansas

Resting at the foot of Arkansas's highest mountain, Mount Magazine, in the River Valley region of Arkansas, Blue Mountain Lake, also known as Blue Mountain Reservoir, is a beautiful lake that offers excellent fishing, boating, and water-skiing. Blue Mountain Lake also has a world-class reputation as a bird-dog field trial area and is home to the world-renowned Perry Mikles Blue Mountain Wildlife Demonstration Area. Part of the 17,019 acres of land and water around Blue Mountain Lake, the bird-dog field trial area features kennels and stables for competitors from all over the country to run their retrieving dogs through their paces and also has excellent hiking and birdwatching sites.

4. Bull Shoals Lake

Situated in the Ozark Mountains, Bull Shoals Lake is an artificial lake that boasts numerous lake arms and offers year-round opportunities for recreation and relaxation. With over 45,000 surface acres of water, Bull Shoals Lake extends from the northern regions of Arkansas into southern Missouri and features a 700-mile shoreline with 19 developed parks that offer campgrounds, boat launches, marinas, and protected swimming areas. Bull Shoals Lake was created in the Upper White River Basin for flood control and hydroelectric power in 1951 and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and its rocky shoreline, clear waters, and excellent fishing make the perfect spot for a mountain getaway.

5. Cane Creek Lake

Tucked into southern Arkansas's Timberlands Region, Cane Creek Lake is a 1,675-acre timber-filled lake that offers spectacular natural landscapes and a bounty of birds and wildlife. Formed by the damming of Cane Creek, a tributary of the world's longest bayou, Bayou Bartholomew, Cane Creek Lake is a serene and tranquil spot for canoeing and kayaking. Paddlers glide through water lilies and stands of dead and live cypress trees, which serve as protection for a wealth of fish in the lake and as ideal nesting sites for a plethora of bird, waterfowl, and small wildlife.

6. Crown Lake, AR

Set in the rolling Arkansas foothills of the magnificent Ozark Mountains, Crown Lake, AR is a vacationer's paradise that offers a wealth of recreational activities in a landscape of breathtaking beauty. Part of Horseshoe Bend on Bens Creek in Izard County, Crown Lake is the largest of three lakes in Horseshoe Bend with more than 645 acres of pristine waters. Created by the impoundment of the Strawberry River in 1972, Crown Lake offers a fantastic array of outdoor and water-based activities such as hiking and mountain biking, pleasure boating, canoeing and kayaking, water-skiing, and swimming as well as excellent fishing for catfish, crappie, bream, and great bass.

7. DeGray Lake, AR

Nestled in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, DeGray Lake is a beautiful lake renowned for its recreational activities such as boating, camping, fishing, scuba diving, and swimming. Surrounded by an area of wilderness dating back to AD 700, when the Caddo Native Americans originally inhabited the region, the 5,600-hectare lake lies on the Caddo River just south of the city of Hot Springs and was formed to control floods and produce hydroelectric power by impounding the Caddo River in 1972. The lake and its surrounded shoreline boast beautiful natural scenery and are home to the DeGray Lake Resort State Park, which has a 92-room lodge, 113 campsites, a restaurant, and an 18-hole golf course.

8. DeQueen Lake

Set on the Rolling Fork River in the Ouachita Mountains Region, DeQueen Lake is a recreational paradise with 32 miles of picturesque pine-wooded shoreline that is ideal for hiking, mountain biking, camping, picnicking, boating, and swimming. Formed and filled after the completion of a dam on the Rolling Fork River in 1958 for flood control, water supply, fish and wildlife enhancement, water quality, and recreation, DeQueen Lake boasts crystal-clear waters, lovely swimming beaches for sunbathing and relaxing, many picnic areas and group shelters, and several boat ramps for launching pleasure craft.

9. Dierks Lake

Located on the Saline River in the Ouachita Mountain Region of west-central Arkansas, Dierks Lake is a beautiful stretch of water spanning 1,360 acres and is surrounded by hardwoods and pine forests, offering a serene spot for relaxing in nature. Easily accessed off Highway 70, the lake was formed by the construction of Dierks Dam on the Saline River to provide flood control, water supply, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation and was completed in 1975 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Today, Dierks Lake features three campgrounds, namely the Blue Ridge Park, the Horseshoe Bend, and the Jefferson Ridge, with over 100 campsites and several swimming beaches for sunbathing and swimming. The lake is also popular for pleasure boating and fishing.

10. Gillham Lake

Set on the challenging white waters of the Cossatot River and known as “the Bright Spot of the Cossatot,” Gillham Lake is a calm lake surrounded by majestic mountains and verdant woodlands that offers a relaxing and tranquil recreational escape. Located in the counties of Howard and Polk, Gillham Lake was created after the construction of Gillham Dam in 1972 and offers several outdoor and recreational activities for visitors, including hiking, mountain biking, camping, picnicking, boating, fishing, hunting, kayaking, and swimming. Today, it is owned and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.