Overview
Lake Dardanelle is a roughly 34,300-acre navigation and hydropower pool on the Arkansas River in west-central Arkansas, formed by Dardanelle Lock and Dam (L&D 10) near the cities of Russellville and Dardanelle. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the project as part of the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System. Unlike the state's flood-control reservoirs, Dardanelle is held as a run-of-river navigation pool with a small hydropower storage band rather than a large flood pool.
Measured at the top of the power pool, the lake has about 315 miles of shoreline and stretches some 50 miles up the Arkansas River and major tributary arms. It is a relatively shallow, riverine reservoir averaging near 14 feet deep and reaching about 60 feet in old channel holes, with broad flats, creek mouths, and riprap along the navigation channel.
Dardanelle is a well-known fishery for white bass, largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish and is a popular tournament and recreational boating lake, with fisheries managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Public parks, boat ramps, and Lake Dardanelle State Park provide access along the Russellville-Dardanelle corridor.
Water levels on Lake Dardanelle are managed by the Corps of Engineers within a narrow navigation band of about 336.0 to 338.2 feet NGVD29 at the dam. Upstream ends of the pool can fluctuate more with river flow and generation, so monitoring current pool elevation and river conditions is helpful for boating, fishing, and dock access.
Current Conditions
Lake Dardanelle is currently at full pool and has risen slightly over the past week.
- 7-day trendRisingLatest movement can differ from the seven-day trend.
- 7-day changeUp 0.22 ft
- 30-day changeDown 0.06 ft
- Drought conditionsSevere Drought
About This Lake
Learn how this lake is managed, what affects its water level, and where Lake Insights gets its data.
Lake Dardanelle is a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.