Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Lincoln Lake

Washington County, Arkansas89 acresView mapDirections

F
Algae-prone

Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.

↓ down from D at the last regrade

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
No reading
No sample
Max depth
~37 ft est.
GLOBathy model
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Improving
4 years of samples
  • Hypereutrophic
  • #5 of 6 in the county
  • 37 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Lincoln Lake in Washington County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 41.6 µg/L. Surface area: 89 acres.

Max depth
~37 ft est.
Area
89 acres
Type
Hypereutrophic
Phosphorus
50 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a
41.6 µg/L
Trend
Improving
Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Lincoln Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lincoln Lake in Washington 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 Lincoln Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Lincoln Lake

Prices for Sep 11–13, 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 →

Watch Lincoln Lake’s letter

Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.


Or email

Lincoln Lake is a 89-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Washington County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Washington County, Lincoln Lake ranks #5 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2026-02-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited 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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Springfield

Get alerts for Lincoln Lake

Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)

No clarity data. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 41.6 µg/L. TSI 64. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
Phosphorus50 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)41.6 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)64Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth~37 ft est.
Average Depth~20 ft est.
Surface Area89 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 Lincoln Lake.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
12 sq mi
Shoreline
2.6 mi
Elevation
1,204 ft

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 Lincoln Lake

Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Phosphorus Improving-2.76 µg/L/yr3
Chlorophyll-a Stable-0.7 µg/L/yr4
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Lincoln Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Muddy Fork Site 2 (completed 1963), built primarily for water supply on the Moore Creek; earth-type dam, 80 ft tall and 1,768 ft long.

Surface area
89 ac
Normal storage
1,668 ac-ft
Max storage
7,002 ac-ft
Drainage area
13.1 sq mi
Hazard class
Significant
Owner
City of Lincoln

All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation;Flood Risk Reduction.

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00283 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.57 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #5 of 6 lakes in Washington County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Lincoln Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

Nearby Lakes in Washington County

Frequently asked questions about Lincoln Lake

Where is Lincoln Lake?

Lincoln Lake is a lake in Washington County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Lincoln Lake?

Lincoln Lake in Washington County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 41.6 µg/L. Surface area: 89 acres.

Is Lincoln Lake safe to swim in?

The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Lincoln Lake?

No published bathymetric survey covers Lincoln Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 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 89 acres.

Where this data comes from

30 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Arkansas Department of Environmental QualityARDEQH2O_WQX30 samples · 2012–2026

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)