Lake Cherokee
Sharp County, Arkansas28 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 34 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Cherokee in Sharp County, Arkansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 28 acres.
- Max depth
- ~34 ft est.
- Area
- 28 acres
- Phosphorus
- 25 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Lake Cherokee’s letter
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Why Lake Cherokee has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake Cherokee, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not water clarity.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake Cherokee is a 28-acre lake in Sharp County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2012-10-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake Cherokee
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.7 µg/L. TSI 45.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 25 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.7 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~34 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 28 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 Lake Cherokee.
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 Lake Cherokee
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.26 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Cherokee is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cherokee Lake Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for recreation on the Little Otter Creek; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 846 ft long.
- Surface area
- 28 ac
- Normal storage
- 516 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 531 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Cherokee Village SID
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00248 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Lake Cherokee
Lake Cherokee has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Sharp County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Cherokee
Where is Lake Cherokee?
- Lake Cherokee is a lake in Sharp County, Arkansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Lake Cherokee?
- Lake Cherokee in Sharp County, Arkansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 25 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.7 µg/L. Surface area: 28 acres.
Is Lake Cherokee safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Cherokee?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Cherokee, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 34 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 28 acres.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX4 samples · 2012
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)
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)