Degray Lake
Clark County, Arkansas13,400 acresView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Degray Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Degray Lake in Clark County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Surface area: 13400 acres.
Degray Lake is a 13,400-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Clark County, Arkansas. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 10 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Clark County, Degray Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2019-07-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 13,000 acres, Degray Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 10 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Degray Lake, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Degray Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch10 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water13,400 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Degray 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 Degray Lake
These are the measurements Arkansas DEQ publishes for Degray Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.5 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.8 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 8.8µg/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. | 48 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Degray Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
13,400 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Arkansas DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Degray Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Ozan Point Recreation AreaPublic
- Campground RoadPublic
- Small Dike RoadPublic
- Iron Mountain Ramp RoadPublic
- Spillway Dam Recreation AreaPublic
- Capps RoadPublic
Showing 6 of 10 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 Degray Lake
- Iron Mountain1.4 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 Degray Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Degray Lake in Clark 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 Degray Lake
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip? Cabins and lodging at Degray Lake → · more Arkansas lake trips
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Fishing Degray Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 8 years of monitoring (2012–2019).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.65 µg/L/yr8 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.72 µg/L/yr8 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Degray Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Degray Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Caddo River; earth-type dam, 98 ft tall and 13,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 13,400 ac
- Normal storage
- 654,700 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,377,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 453 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Vicksburg District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00151 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Clark County
Frequently asked questions about Degray Lake
Where is Degray Lake?
- Degray Lake is a lake in Clark County, Arkansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by Arkansas DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Degray Lake?
- Degray Lake in Clark County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.8 µg/L. Surface area: 13400 acres.
Is Degray Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Degray Lake?
- Degray Lake has 10 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Ozan Point Recreation Area, Campground Road, Small Dike Road, Iron Mountain Ramp Road, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Degray Lake?
- Degray Lake has 10 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 Degray Lake?
- Degray Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Iron Mountain. 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 Degray Lake across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Hot Springs?
Degray Lake is about 21 miles from Hot Springs National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Hot Springs →More lakes in Arkansas
Other Lakes in Arkansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
123 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX123 samples · 2012–2019
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
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles