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LakeQuality

Data Report · Updated July 2026

The State of Arkansas’s Lakes 2026

Of 149 monitored lakes in Arkansas, 28.2% earn a water-quality grade of A or B and 43.6% score D or F (average grade C). Beaver Lake is the cleanest;

149
Monitored lakes graded
C
Average grade
28.2%
Grade A or B
0%
On impaired list

Arkansas grade distribution

A
B
C
D
F
A: 18 (12.1%)B: 24 (16.1%)C: 42 (28.2%)D: 34 (22.8%)F: 31 (20.8%)

Cleanest lakes in Arkansas

Highest combined water-quality score, 2026.

  1. 1.ABeaver Lake — Carroll County20.0 ft clarity · 6 µg/L P · 1 µg/L chl-a
  2. 2.ABeaver Lake — Carroll County19.1 ft clarity · 2 µg/L chl-a
  3. 3.AGreers Ferry Lake — Cleburne County10.0 ft clarity · 11 µg/L P · 3 µg/L chl-a
  4. 4.ABull Shoals Lake — Baxter County16.1 ft clarity · 22 µg/L P · 4 µg/L chl-a
  5. 5.ALake Ouachita — Garland County15.0 ft clarity · 20 µg/L P · 3 µg/L chl-a
  6. 6.AGreers Ferry Lake — Cleburne County13.7 ft clarity · 4 µg/L chl-a
  7. 7.ALake Sequoyah — Sharp County27 µg/L P · 2 µg/L chl-a
  8. 8.ALake Cherokee — Sharp County25 µg/L P · 3 µg/L chl-a
  9. 9.ALake Thunderbird — Sharp County23 µg/L P · 1 µg/L chl-a
  10. 10.AVagabond Lake — Sharp County23 µg/L P · 1 µg/L chl-a

Most-polluted lakes

Lowest combined water-quality score among monitored lakes.

  1. 1.FLake Beulah — Desha County1.0 ft clarity · 300 µg/L P · 69 µg/L chl-a
  2. 2.FNla Lake — Poinsett County1.0 ft clarity · 151000 µg/L P · 74 µg/L chl-a
  3. 3.FNla Lake — Lawrence County1.6 ft clarity · 107000 µg/L P · 94 µg/L chl-a
  4. 4.FNla Lake — Little River County1.2 ft clarity · 246 µg/L P · 96 µg/L chl-a
  5. 5.FNla Lake — Calhoun County2.0 ft clarity · 119 µg/L P · 55 µg/L chl-a
  6. 6.FNla Lake — Randolph County0.9 ft clarity · 142 µg/L P · 55 µg/L chl-a
  7. 7.FLake Lee — Chicot County1.2 ft clarity · 240 µg/L P · 43 µg/L chl-a
  8. 8.FTunica Cutoff Lake — Lee County1.6 ft clarity · 150 µg/L P · 56 µg/L chl-a
  9. 9.FLake Wilson — Ashley County200 µg/L P · 48 µg/L chl-a
  10. 10.FLower Lake Chicot — Chicot County170 µg/L P · 59 µg/L chl-a

Worst algae hotspots

Highest measured chlorophyll-a (algae) concentration.

  1. 1.FBois D Arc Lake — Hempstead County138 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  2. 2.FGrand Lake — Chicot County116 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  3. 3.FLake Hogue — Poinsett County114 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  4. 4.FLake June — Lafayette County100 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  5. 5.FNla Lake — Little River County96 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  6. 6.FNla Lake — Lawrence County94 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  7. 7.FLower Lake Chicot — Chicot County89 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  8. 8.FLake Pine Bluff Diagonally From North And East Levees — Jefferson County84 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  9. 9.FLake Conway — Faulkner County76 µg/L chlorophyll-a
  10. 10.FNla Lake — Poinsett County74 µg/L chlorophyll-a

Explore Arkansas lakes

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Grades combine Secchi clarity, total phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a from the EPA Water Quality Portal and state agencies. See the full methodology, the national State of America’s Lakes report, or all Arkansas lakes.

Cite this report: LakeQuality, “The State of Arkansas’s Lakes 2026,” lakequality.org/report/ar.