Bragg Lake
Ouachita County, Arkansas167 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 37 ft max depth
- Limited data
Bragg Lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.8 µg/L. Surface area: 166.5 acres.
- Max depth
- ~37 ft est.
- Area
- 167 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 110 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 29.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Bragg Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Bragg Lake in Ouachita 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Bragg Lake are listed below.
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Watch Bragg Lake’s letter
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Bragg Lake is a 167-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Ouachita County, Bragg Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-10-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 29.8 µg/L. TSI 68. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 110 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 167 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Arkansas has not published bathymetry for Bragg Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Bragg Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -15.15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Bragg Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Bragg Lake Dam (completed 1940), built primarily for recreation on the Bragg Mill Creek; earth-type dam, 17 ft tall and 775 ft long.
- Surface area
- 166.5 ac
- Normal storage
- 507 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,181 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Ouachita County
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00645 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Ouachita County
Nearby Lakes in Ouachita County
Frequently asked questions about Bragg Lake
Where is Bragg Lake?
- Bragg Lake is a lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Bragg Lake?
- Bragg Lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Phosphorus: 110 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.8 µg/L. Surface area: 166.5 acres.
Is Bragg Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Bragg Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Bragg Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 166.5 acres.
Explore Bragg Lake across LakeQuality
More Arkansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Arkansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX36 samples · 2023–2025
Analytical methods
- 4500 P J ~ Persulfate Method for Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Turbidity by Nephelometry
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)