Lake Winona
Saline County, Arkansas1,280 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 64 ft max depth
- Public access
Lake Winona in Saline County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1280 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~64 ft est.
- Area
- 1,280 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 11 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lake Winona’s letter
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Lake Winona is a 1,280-acre mesotrophic lake in Saline County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 64 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2022. 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 Saline County, Lake Winona ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2022-12-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lake Winona is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,280 acres
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Winona is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.2 ft. Phosphorus 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 42. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 42 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~64 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,280 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 Winona.
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 WinonaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Lake Winona
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.971 m/yr | 11 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -0.44 µg/L/yr | 11 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.14 µg/L/yr | 11 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Winona is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Winona Dam (completed 1938), built primarily for water supply on the Alum Fork Creek; earth-type dam, 115 ft tall and 2,800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,280 ac
- Normal storage
- 41,799 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 63,264 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 43 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Central Arkansas Water
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Winona is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AR_08040203_4101 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Saline County
Nearby Lakes in Saline County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Winona
Where is Lake Winona?
- Lake Winona is a lake in Saline County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Winona?
- Lake Winona in Saline County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 7.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1280 acres.
Is Lake Winona safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Winona is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Winona?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Winona, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 64 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 1280 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Lake Winona?
- Lake Winona has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Lake Winona. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Lake Winona across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Hot Springs?
Lake Winona is about 22 miles from Hot Springs National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Hot Springs →More Arkansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Arkansas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
697 measurements from 4 monitoring stations, 2012–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Arkansas Water Science Center
USGS-AR697 samples · 2012–2022
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- HACH, sensor model 2100 AN, R-On
Monitoring station identifiers (4)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory