Lake Leatherwood
Carroll County, Arkansas85 acresView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Leatherwood. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
Lake Leatherwood in Carroll County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 85 acres.
Lake Leatherwood is a 85-acre mesotrophic lake in Carroll County, Arkansas. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Carroll County, Lake Leatherwood ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-03-25. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Lake Leatherwood covers about 85 acres in Carroll County. It has one public boat landing. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Lake Leatherwood, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Lake Leatherwood is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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 Leatherwood 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 Leatherwood
These are the measurements Arkansas DEQ publishes for Lake Leatherwood, 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 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.9 µg/L. TSI 46.
| 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 | 26µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.9µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Lake Leatherwood
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
85 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Arkansas DEQ
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Leatherwood, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Lake Leatherwood ParkPublic
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 Leatherwood
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Leatherwood in Carroll 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Leatherwood
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Arkansas’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Leatherwood’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Leatherwood
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Phosphorus
Stable+0.25 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.11 µg/L/yr6 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Leatherwood is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Leatherwood (completed 1939), built primarily for recreation on the West Leatherwood Creek; other-type dam, 55 ft tall and 660 ft long.
- Surface area
- 85 ac
- Normal storage
- 800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,680 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Eureka Springs
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00238 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Carroll County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Leatherwood
Where is Lake Leatherwood?
- Lake Leatherwood is a lake in Carroll 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 Leatherwood?
- Lake Leatherwood in Carroll County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 26 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.9 µg/L. Surface area: 85 acres.
Is Lake Leatherwood 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 Leatherwood?
- Lake Leatherwood has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Leatherwood Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Lake Leatherwood?
- Lake Leatherwood has 1 documented boat landing 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 Leatherwood across LakeQuality
More lakes in Arkansas
Other Lakes in Arkansas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX54 samples · 2012–2025
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)
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