Des Arc Lake
Prairie County, Arkansas350 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 40 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Des Arc Lake in Prairie County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.4 µg/L. Surface area: 350 acres.
- Max depth
- ~40 ft est.
- Area
- 350 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 26.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Des Arc Lake’s letter
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Des Arc Lake is a 350-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Prairie County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 40 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-11-19. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Des Arc Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 26.4 µg/L. TSI 60. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 26.4 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~40 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 350 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Arkansas has not published bathymetry for Des Arc 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.
Recreation & Access
- Bayou Des Arc Wildlife Management AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Des Arc Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | 0 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.45 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Des Arc Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Des Arc Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Overflow Branch; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 16,925 ft long.
- Surface area
- 350 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,100 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,500 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00695 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Prairie County
Nearby Lakes in Prairie County
Frequently asked questions about Des Arc Lake
Where is Des Arc Lake?
- Des Arc Lake is a lake in Prairie County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Des Arc Lake?
- Des Arc Lake in Prairie County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.4 µg/L. Surface area: 350 acres.
Is Des Arc Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Des Arc Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Des Arc Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 40 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 350 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Des Arc Lake?
- Des Arc Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Bayou Des Arc Wildlife Management Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Des Arc Lake across LakeQuality
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Other Grade C Lakes in Arkansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
32 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_WQX32 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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory