Beaver Lake
Carroll County, Arkansas28,220 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 3 in the county
- Public access
Beaver Lake in Carroll County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 20.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 28220 acres.
- Clarity
- 20.3 ft
- Area
- 28,220 acres
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Beaver Lake’s letter
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Beaver Lake is a 28,220-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Carroll County, Arkansas. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 7 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Carroll County, Beaver Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2023-11-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Beaver Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water20.3 ft of visibility
- Boat launch7 documented ramps
- Big water28,220 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 20.3 ft down. Phosphorus 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.2 µg/L. TSI 31. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 20.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 5 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 31 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 28,220 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Beaver Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cobble LanePublic
- HogscaldPublic
- StarkeyPublic
- Dicks CreekPublic
- Lost Bridge (South)Public
- Starkey MarinaSemi-private
Showing 6 of 7 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
Fishing Beaver Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +13.202 m/yr | 11 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.63 µg/L/yr | 10 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.01 µg/L/yr | 10 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Beaver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Beaver Dam (completed 1963), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the White; concrete-type dam, 228 ft tall and 720 ft long.
- Surface area
- 28,220 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,652,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,952,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,186 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Little Rock District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00174 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Carroll County
Nearby Lakes in Carroll County
Frequently asked questions about Beaver Lake
Where is Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake is a lake in Carroll County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake in Carroll County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 20.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.2 µg/L. Surface area: 28220 acres.
Is Beaver Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Beaver Lake?
- Beaver Lake has 7 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cobble Lane, Hogscald, Starkey, Dicks Creek, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Beaver Lake across LakeQuality
Depth, room, public access, and the state wake-sport rules
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Arkansas's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Arkansas's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
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Other Grade A Lakes in Arkansas
Oligotrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
351 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Arkansas Water Science Center
USGS-AR351 samples · 2012–2023
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
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory