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.

Lake Ouachita

I've dived Lake Ouachita since 1960. The lake has changed a lot related to tourism, but through it all, is still one of the best lake dives I've ever done! A wide selection of fish abound and spear fishing, in season with license, is legal! Very few shore dive sites! (Rangers can't differentiate between "scuba DIVING" and "DIVING" head first off rocks! Honestly, this happened to me and others!) Boat diving around the islands (dozens!) is great. Average viz ~10'-15' (less in Summer, more in Winter). Have fun...and don't trash the lake, please!

Don J.'s Dive Log

@don_j

1 dives