Norfork Lake
Baxter County, Arkansas22,000 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 3 in the county
- Public access
- Limited data
Norfork Lake in Baxter County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6 µg/L. Surface area: 22000 acres.
- Clarity
- 12.2 ft
- Area
- 22,000 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 6 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Norfork Lake’s letter
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Norfork Lake is a 22,000-acre mesotrophic lake in Baxter County, Arkansas. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 15 public boat landings. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Baxter County, Norfork Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2023-11-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Norfork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch15 documented ramps
- Big water22,000 acres
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)
Good clarity, visible to about 12.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 12.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 6 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 22,000 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Norfork Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Road 61Public
- Wood PointPublic
- JordanPublic
- Riverview TrailPublic
- Norfolk River RoadPublic
- Big Creek WayPublic
Showing 6 of 15 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 Norfork Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.689 m/yr | 11 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.58 µg/L/yr | 7 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.03 µg/L/yr | 7 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Norfork Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Norfork Dam (completed 1944), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the North Fork of The White; concrete-type dam, 248 ft tall and 2,624 ft long.
- Surface area
- 22,000 ac
- Normal storage
- 31,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,983,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,806 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Little Rock District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Hydroelectric;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00159 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Baxter County
Nearby Lakes in Baxter County
Frequently asked questions about Norfork Lake
Where is Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake is a lake in Baxter County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake in Baxter County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6 µg/L. Surface area: 22000 acres.
Is Norfork Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake has 15 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Road 61, Wood Point, Jordan, Riverview Trail, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Norfork Lake across LakeQuality
More Arkansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Arkansas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Arkansas
Where this data comes from
227 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Arkansas Water Science Center
USGS-AR120 samples · 2012–2023 - Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX107 samples · 2012–2019
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- 4500 P J ~ Persulfate Method for Simultaneous Determination of Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory