Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Mesotrophic lakes are the productive middle of the trophic scale — TSI between 40 and 50. Clear enough to be inviting, productive enough to support a strong fishery, with moderate phosphorus and a modest algal community that does not dominate the optical signal. 8 lakes in Arkansas sit in the mesotrophic band. About 0% are deep (50+ ft); the rest are shallower basins where watershed management keeps nutrients from pushing the system into eutrophy.

Mesotrophic lakes sit in the middle of the phosphorus and chlorophyll-a range: productive but still clear, with readings that rarely reach the EPA's poorest condition class.

#LakeCountyClarityDepthTSI
1Greers Ferry LakeCleburne10 ft-42
2Lake WinonaSaline7.2 ft-42
3Lake MirandySharp--46
4Norfork LakeBaxter12.2 ft-46
5Lake Fort SmithCrawford6.5 ft-48
6Lake OuachitaGarland15 ft-43
7Crown LakeIzard--43
8Lake LeatherwoodCarroll--46

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.