Lake Erling
Lafayette County, Arkansas2,350 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 46 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Erling in Lafayette County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 49.2 µg/L. Surface area: 2350 acres.
- Max depth
- ~46 ft est.
- Area
- 2,350 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 49.2 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Lake Erling
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Erling in Lafayette 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 Lake Erling are listed below.
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Watch Lake Erling’s letter
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Lake Erling is a 2,350-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Lafayette County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 46 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 3 sampling years through 2025. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Lafayette County, Lake Erling ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-10-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Erling is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
- Big water2,350 acres
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)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 49.2 µg/L. TSI 65. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 49.2 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 65 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~46 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~26 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 2,350 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 Lake Erling.
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
- Cummings CampPublic
Showing 1 of 2 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
Fishing Lake Erling
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Erling is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Erling Dam (completed 1956), built primarily for water supply on the Bodcau; rockfill-type dam, 43 ft tall and 4,390 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,350 ac
- Normal storage
- 76,750 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 138,250 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 408 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- The AGRED Foundation
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00872 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Lafayette County
Nearby Lakes in Lafayette County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Erling
Where is Lake Erling?
- Lake Erling is a lake in Lafayette County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Erling?
- Lake Erling in Lafayette County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 49.2 µg/L. Surface area: 2350 acres.
Is Lake Erling safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Erling?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Erling, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 46 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 2350 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Erling?
- Lake Erling has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cummings Camp, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Erling 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
94 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2018–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX94 samples · 2018–2025
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 (2)
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