Vagabond Lake
Sharp County, Arkansas77 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 33 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Vagabond Lake in Sharp County, Arkansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 77 acres.
- Max depth
- ~33 ft est.
- Area
- 77 acres
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 1.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Vagabond Lake’s letter
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Why Vagabond Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Vagabond Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not water clarity.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by ADEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Vagabond Lake is a 77-acre lake in Sharp County, Arkansas with an estimated average depth of about 33 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEQ, last sampled 2015-09-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Vagabond Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.4 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 1.4 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~33 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 77 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 Vagabond 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 Vagabond Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.15 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.16 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Vagabond Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Vagabond Lake Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the Humphrey Creek; earth-type dam, 59 ft tall and 850 ft long.
- Surface area
- 77 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,634 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,100 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Ozark Acres SID
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID AR00257 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Vagabond Lake
Vagabond Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Sharp County
Frequently asked questions about Vagabond Lake
Where is Vagabond Lake?
- Vagabond Lake is a lake in Sharp County, Arkansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Vagabond Lake?
- Vagabond Lake in Sharp County, Arkansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.4 µg/L. Surface area: 77 acres.
Is Vagabond Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Vagabond Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Vagabond Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 33 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 77 acres.
Explore Vagabond Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2015. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
ARDEQH2O_WQX36 samples · 2012–2015
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
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)