Lake Poinsett
Poinsett County, Arkansas540 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lake Poinsett in Poinsett County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21 µg/L. Surface area: 540 acres.
- Max depth
- ~52 ft est.
- Area
- 540 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 21 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Poinsett’s letter
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Lake Poinsett is a 540-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Poinsett County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. 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 Poinsett County, Lake Poinsett ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-11-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Poinsett is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
No clarity data. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 21 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 21 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~52 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 540 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 Poinsett.
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
- Lake Poinsett State Park (South)Public
- Lake Poinsett State Park (Central)Public
- Lake Poinsett State Park (North)Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Poinsett
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +3.2 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Poinsett is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Poinsett Dam (completed 1967), built primarily for recreation on the Distress Creek; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 2,725 ft long.
- Surface area
- 540 ac
- Normal storage
- 16,296 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 29,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
All listed purposes: Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00477 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Poinsett County
Nearby Lakes in Poinsett County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Poinsett
Where is Lake Poinsett?
- Lake Poinsett is a lake in Poinsett County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Poinsett?
- Lake Poinsett in Poinsett County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21 µg/L. Surface area: 540 acres.
Is Lake Poinsett safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Poinsett?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Poinsett, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 52 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 540 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Poinsett?
- Lake Poinsett has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Poinsett State Park (South), Lake Poinsett State Park (Central), Lake Poinsett State Park (North). Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Poinsett across LakeQuality
More Arkansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Arkansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX30 samples · 2023–2025
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)
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