Upper White Oak Lake
Ouachita County, Arkansas598 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 52 ft max depth
- Limited data
Upper White Oak Lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 597.8 acres.
- Max depth
- ~52 ft est.
- Area
- 598 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 25.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Upper White Oak Lake’s letter
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Upper White Oak Lake is a 598-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Ouachita County, Upper White Oak Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2025-10-28. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 25.1 µg/L. TSI 60. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.1 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 60 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~52 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 598 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 Upper White Oak Lake.
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.
Fishing Upper White Oak Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.25 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Upper White Oak Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the White Oak Lake Upper Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the White Oak Creek; earth-type dam, 21 ft tall and 1,280 ft long.
- Surface area
- 597.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,940 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 16,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00634 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.18 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Ouachita County
Nearby Lakes in Ouachita County
Frequently asked questions about Upper White Oak Lake
Where is Upper White Oak Lake?
- Upper White Oak Lake is a lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Upper White Oak Lake?
- Upper White Oak Lake in Ouachita County, Arkansas has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.1 µg/L. Surface area: 597.8 acres.
Is Upper White Oak Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Upper White Oak Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Upper White Oak Lake, 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 597.8 acres.
Explore Upper White Oak Lake 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, 2019–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX30 samples · 2019–2025
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)