Beaver Lake
Benton County, ArkansasView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Beaver Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
Beaver Lake in Benton County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L.
Beaver Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Benton County, Arkansas. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 8 public boat landings. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Benton County, Beaver Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2021-10-05. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch8 documented ramps
- Camping3 public campgrounds nearby
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Beaver Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Beaver Lake
These are the measurements Arkansas DEQ publishes for Beaver Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 4.6 ft. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.1 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 4.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 23µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.1µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 52 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Beaver Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Natural Walk RoadPublic
- Blue SpringsPublic
- Boat Ramp RoadPublic
- Shoreline WayPublic
- Vaughan RoadPublic
- War Eagle MarinaSemi-private
Showing 6 of 8 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Beaver Lake
- Hickory Creek Park (AR)0.7 kmReserve
- War Eagle Campground3.2 kmReserve
- Horseshoe Bend (Beaver Lake)4.8 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Beaver Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Beaver Lake in Benton County, Arkansas — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Beaver Lake
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Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2012–2018).
Water clarity
Stable7 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.29 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable-0.13 µg/L/yr7 years
EPA Impairment Status
Beaver Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AR_11010001_4042 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Benton County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Benton County, Arkansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by Arkansas DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Benton County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 4.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Beaver Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Natural Walk Road, Blue Springs, Boat Ramp Road, Shoreline Way, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 8 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Arkansas's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 3 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Hickory Creek Park (AR), War Eagle Campground, Horseshoe Bend (Beaver Lake). This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
1,042 measurements from 5 monitoring stations, 2012–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Arkansas Water Science Center
USGS-AR979 samples · 2012–2021 - Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX63 samples · 2012–2019
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
- HACH, sensor model 2100 AN, R-On
- 4500 P J ~ Persulfate Method for Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (5)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles