Lake Ouachita

Arkansas, USA Mid
map
Entry Map
directions
Directions
photos
Photos
Difficulty
Unrated
Viz (last reported 75834h ago)
Max Depth
Unknown

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Lake Ouachita

Lake Ouachita is a 50 year old government power pool not available for commercial or residential development and is therefore (according to the EPA) the 2nd cleanest lake in the US! It is ~ 11 miles wide by ~33 miles long. There are four major (?) resorts that skirt Lake Ouachita, and no further are planned. All are reasonable and clean, not fancy. Dive flags are respected. Literally hundreds of dive sites (pick your own!) are available. Ark. Is one of the few states where spear fishing is legal! Get a fishing license! Viz ranges from "can't see your hand in front of your fact to 20' in summer. Winter the vis has been known to open up below the thermocline to 50-60'. Three dive shops are available. Most are closed in the winter, so seek tank refills/equipment in Hot Springs. Great lake to dive lot of fauna but too much flora! Trying to get the moss under control. From Hot Springs, AR, there are several accesses to Lake Ouachita (pronounced Wash-it-aw). Take US Hwy 270 west for all accesses including Spillway Resort (at the extreme East end of the lake), Brady Mountain Lodge & Marina, Crystal Springs Resort & Marina and Mountain Harbor Resort & Marina (at the extreme west end of the lake). From Little Rock, AR, take I-30 to US70 to Hot Springs then to US270. From I-30 south, take the first Hot Springs exit and go 35 miles on AR Hwy 7 to Hot Springs then to US 270. Lake Ouachita is accessible from Oklahoma by taking US Hwy 270 to the East.
Access
shore
Nearby Shops
Tide Report
5
4
3
2
1
4.1
(8)
Currently viewing a specific review. View all reviews
Don from Fairview
Don from Fairview
Aug 15, 2005, 12:00 AM
scuba
The dam site is interesting with the boats, four wheeler, mail box, etc. Vis was twenty feet, but at forty feet deep vis got better. Be prepared for cold water below 25 ft. If you've got a boat, check out the "wall" and the "checker board". Site #49 was recommended, but we did not find good diving there (poor vis). Watch out for trees at 30-50 ft. Find a good map at one of the marinas -- they have gps coordinates plus lake contours. Good lake to dive in, but 2 full days of diving and did not see near enough of it. We will definitely return next summer.
Other Locations Nearby