Washington County Lake Quality
Arkansas, 11 lakes, average grade D (Nutrient-rich)
Washington County has 11 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. 4 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county-wide average grade is D — water quality issues are persistent across most of the monitored basins. 1 lakes fall into the F bracket outright.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Lake Elmdale (D); the most-stressed is Lincoln Lake (F).
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Quick Answers for Washington County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Lake Elmdale — or check the official Arkansas fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Washington County
11 lakes · 4 graded, 7 not rated4 graded lakes · 7 not rated, hidden
| # | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus | Algae | Trophic | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DLake ElmdaleWashington | D | No recent samples | 36 µg/L | 24.1 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 2 | DBobb Kidd LakeWashington | D | No recent samples | 42.5 µg/L | 22.8 µg/L | No recent samples | ✓ Public |
| 3 | DLake WilsonWashington | D | No recent samples | 20 µg/L | 7.4 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| 4 | FLincoln LakeWashington | F | No recent samples | 50 µg/L | 41.6 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded |
| NRBeaver LakeWashington | NR | 9.4 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | ✓ Public | |
| NRLake SequoyahWashington | NR | 2.5 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake WilsonWashington | NR | 8 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake FayettevilleWashington | NR | 2.6 ft | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake WeddingtonWashington | NR | No recent samples | 20 µg/L | 7.4 µg/L | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRRodgers LakeWashington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded | |
| NRLake Prairie GroveWashington | NR | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | No recent samples | Not recorded |
NR = not rated: there is not enough recent sampling to support a letter. That is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 (insufficient information), not a failing grade. How grading works.
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Other Counties in Arkansas
See how Washington County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all United States (49 states), Canada (Ontario, Québec, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador), and 38 other country hubs..
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.