Lake Charles
Lawrence County, Arkansas562 acresView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Charles. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Public access
Lake Charles in Lawrence County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 69.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.9 µg/L. Surface area: 562 acres.
Lake Charles is a 562-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lawrence County, Arkansas. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2023-03-07. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Lake Charles is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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 Lake Charles 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 Lake Charles
These are the measurements Arkansas DEQ publishes for Lake Charles, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 69.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 40.9 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 69.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 40.9µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Charles
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
562 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Arkansas DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Charles, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Charles State Park (South 1)Public
- Lake Charles State Park (South 2)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Charles
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Charles in Lawrence 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Lake Charles are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Charles
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Lake Charles
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 7 years of monitoring (2012–2022).
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.49 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+6.69 µg/L/yr7 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Charles is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Flat Creek Ag&F Site 3 (completed 1962), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Flat Creek; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 1,813 ft long.
- Surface area
- 562 ac
- Normal storage
- 6,440 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 16,857 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00378 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.36 km)
Nearby Lakes in Lawrence County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Charles
Where is Lake Charles?
- Lake Charles is a lake in Lawrence County, Arkansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by Arkansas DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Charles?
- Lake Charles in Lawrence County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 69.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 40.9 µg/L. Surface area: 562 acres.
Is Lake Charles safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Charles?
- Lake Charles has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Charles State Park (South 1), Lake Charles State Park (South 2). Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Charles?
- Lake Charles has 2 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.
Explore Lake Charles across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
73 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX73 samples · 2012–2023
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)
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