Norfork Lake
Baxter County, Arkansas22,000 acresView mapDirections
Arkansas DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Norfork Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Public access
- Limited data
Norfork Lake in Baxter County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6 µg/L. Surface area: 22000 acres.
Norfork Lake is a 22,000-acre mesotrophic lake in Baxter County, Arkansas. 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. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 22,000 acres, Norfork Lake is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 15 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. If you are planning to stay, you can search lake houses and cabins around Norfork Lake on Vrbo, or look for a hotel room near the lake on Booking.com or Expedia.
What Norfork Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.2 ft of visibility
- Boat launch15 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water22,000 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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 Norfork Lake 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 Norfork Lake
These are the measurements Arkansas DEQ publishes for Norfork Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.2ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6µg/L | Fair 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 Norfork Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
22,000 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Arkansas DEQ
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
Public campgrounds near Norfork Lake
- Dam - Quarry1.0 kmReserve
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Norfork Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Norfork Lake in Baxter 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 Norfork Lake
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 trip? Cabins and lodging at Norfork Lake → · more Arkansas lake trips
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Fishing Norfork Lake
Water Quality Trend: Stable
Based on 11 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Water clarity
Improving11 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+0.58 µg/L/yr7 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.03 µg/L/yr7 years
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
Nearby Lakes in Baxter County
Frequently asked questions about Norfork Lake
Where is Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake is a lake in Baxter County, Arkansas. Its water-quality measurements are published by Arkansas DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake in Baxter County, Arkansas has water-quality measurements published by Arkansas DEQ, shown here as reported. 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?
- Nutrient and algae readings are 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.
Can I fish at Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake has 15 documented boat landings 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.
Are there campgrounds on Norfork Lake?
- Norfork Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Dam - Quarry. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Norfork Lake across LakeQuality
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Other 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)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles