Desoto Lake
Phillips County, ArkansasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 39 ft max depth
- Public access
Desoto Lake in Phillips County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 75 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 44.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Desoto Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Desoto Lake in Phillips 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 Desoto Lake are listed below.
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Desoto Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Phillips County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Phillips County, Desoto Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2024-10-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Desoto Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 44.1 µg/L. TSI 68. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 75 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 44.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| 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 Desoto 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
- Desoto Lake (South)Public
- Topper LandingPublic
- Hillhouse LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Desoto Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.013 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +3.1 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.23 µg/L/yr | 4 |
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Phillips County
Nearby Lakes in Phillips County
Frequently asked questions about Desoto Lake
Where is Desoto Lake?
- Desoto Lake is a lake in Phillips County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Desoto Lake?
- Desoto Lake in Phillips County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 75 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.1 µg/L.
Is Desoto Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Desoto Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Desoto Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Desoto Lake?
- Desoto Lake has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Desoto Lake (South), Topper Landing, Hillhouse Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Desoto Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Arkansas's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Arkansas's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
More Arkansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Arkansas
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
124 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21MSWQ_WQX124 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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