Lake Ouachita

Click Above for forecast and current radar.

Current Water Temperature
72 to 76 degrees.

Recent Events and Articles

Friends of Lake Ouachita, a non-profit organization, takes over management and maintenance of Crystal Springs Recreational area on Lake Ouachita from Corps Of Engineers.

Alabama Rigs arrive.
Not since the Rapala of the 60's has a lure caused such a commotion.

Hot Springs Black Bass Club Still battling stocking of Striped Bass.

New 2012 campsite fees.

New Corps of Engineers Office Building.

Lake Ouachita will be the focus of the largest Cigarette Litter Prevention Study supported by Keep America Beautiful.

Bird Island is Designated as
an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society

Adopt-A-Shoreline / Island Program

Lake Ouachita, Arkansas's largest Lake, has 66,324 total acres of land and water.

Find locations of Camp Grounds, Day Use Areas for Picnics and Swimming, Resorts, Lodging and Hiking / Biking Trails.

Information on Fishing, Hunting, Boating with the added bonus of GPS locations of Brush Piles / Crappie Condos.

Located in the Ouachita National Forest of more than 1.8 million acres with 20,000 forested acres around the lake are open for hunting.

Close to Hot Springs, Arkansas it is the first of 3 lakes built on the Ouachita River.

No homes are allowed on the tree covered rustic shore line of over 600 miles. With Over 200 islands you can find your own private camping space with beach. Lake Ouachita is one of the cleanest lakes in the country.

Pronounced "Wash-ah-taw" officially ( WAH-shi-tah ) but that often comes out as "Wah-sheet-tah", the lake was created by building the Blakely Mountain Dam. “Ouachita” is the French spelling of the Indian word Washita which means "good hunting grounds".

With over 40,000 acres of water, the lake averages 50 feet deep. The deepest area touching 200 feet.

Ouachita was not clear cut before it was filled, so a forest is still standing beneath the surface. Many trees left standing were over 60 feet tall. Always be on the lookout for shallow water markers and tree tops.

With over 200 islands showing, there are many just under the waters surface. Even in seemingly open water you can go from 150 feet to 2 feet in a short distance.

Largemouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Spotted Bass, Bream, Crappie, Catfish, Walleye and world class Trophy Striped Bass await the angler.

There are many unusual features in and around the lake, one feature, the Geo-Float Trail, is a marked trail which can be followed with a brochure detailing prominent geologic features along the route. Lake Ouachita also features one of the largest crystal veins in the world.

Rare freshwater jelly fish (non-stinging) and fresh water sponges can be seen in the lake.

Scuba Divers from all over the world enjoy the clarity of the water and the special spear fishing season.

Lake Ouachita was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1946 and 1954 as a flood control, hydropower, and navigation project. Authorized purposes now include recreation, water supply, and fish and wildlife management.