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Overview
Lake Ouachita is a roughly 40,100-acre reservoir on the Ouachita River in Garland and Montgomery counties west of Hot Springs, Arkansas—the largest lake lying entirely within the state. It was created when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Vicksburg District) completed Blakely Mountain Dam in the 1950s. The multipurpose project provides flood risk management, hydroelectric power, water supply, and recreation and is surrounded largely by the Ouachita National Forest.
With about 690 miles of shoreline, more than 200 islands, an average depth near 50 feet, and a maximum depth of about 200 feet, Ouachita is known for exceptionally clear water, deep channels, and a remote, forested setting. Rock outcrops, drop-offs, and standing timber in parts of the lake create varied structure for boaters and anglers.
Ouachita is a premier Arkansas destination for houseboating, scuba diving, camping, and fishing for largemouth and striped bass, walleye, crappie, and catfish, with fisheries managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Corps parks, Lake Ouachita State Park, marinas, and public ramps provide access around the reservoir. Downstream, the Ouachita continues through Entergy's Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine.
Water levels on Lake Ouachita are managed by the Corps of Engineers around a conservation pool of 578 feet NGVD29, with a flood-control pool extending to 592 feet. Power operations commonly draw the pool several feet below full conservation, so monitoring current lake levels is important for boating, fishing, and dock access throughout the year.
Lake Ouachita is a 40,100-acre reservoir on the Ouachita River managed by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.