Little Rock Lake

How big is Little Rock Lake?

How deep is Little Rock Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Little Rock Lake?

What are the closest cities to Little Rock Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Little Rock Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Little Rock Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Little Rock Lake

Are there boat launches on Little Rock Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Little Rock Lake?

What aquatic invasive species are found in Little Rock Lake?

Little Rock Lake is the largest lake in Benton County. Though large and close to a major metropolitan area, the lake's development and recreational value has been limited by poor water quality. Severe algal blooms have historically occurred in mid to late summer, which affect both the recreational value and fish community diversity. At the time of the 2014 survey in mid-June the secchi disk reading was 4.1 feet which was better than usual for the time of year. Little Rock Lake is a popular destination when Walleye season opens but by early June, few boats are found on the lake after algal blooms begin. The lake likely receives more fishing pressure during the winter season than summer.
The lake has limited vegetation due to poor water clarity. Four feet was the deepest any vegetation was found to grow. Filamentous algae was more common than any aquatic plant species when documenting vegetation diversity in August. The most common shallow water substrate was sand.
A broad connection to the Mississippi River has some influence on the fish species composition in the lake as many of the species found are associated with riverine conditions. Lack of vegetation and turbid water make the lake less suitable for Largemouth Bass and Bluegill. Due to its shallow nature, Little Rock is one of the first lakes to freeze over in the area and fishermen are quick to take advantage of this targeting Walleye and Black Crappie. Little Rock also warms up rapidly in the spring making it a good season opener destination. Walleye natural reproduction maintains the population in the lake and for the most part has been successful at meeting fishing pressure demands. The Walleye gill net catch rate was below management goals and low when compared to similar type lakes. Occasional strong year classes appear to sustain the Black Crappie population. Most crappie caught in surveys and reported "hot bites" are of similar sized fish. The Northern Pike catch was also low when compared to similar type lakes and most of the fish caught in the survey were small by most anglers' standards. An occasional large pike is caught in spring sampling and ice fishing also.
Channel Catfish are quite common and averaged 21 inches or about four pounds in the survey and are rarely targeted by anglers. All three species of bullhead are known to inhabit Little Rock Lake. Brown and Yellow Bullhead were the two species caught in the 2014 survey and abundance appears to be low for both. Species in the sucker family found in Little Rock Lake are White Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse, Silver Redhorse, and Bigmouth Buffalo. Common Carp were also caught in the summer survey and abundance appears to be within the normal range when compared to similar type lakes. Carp bowfishing has become increasingly popular and Little Rock Lake has an abundance of shallow flats to accommodate the sport. Yellow Perch numbers showed a significant improvement from the last survey. Although most anglers consider perch to be nuisance when fishing, the species can be an important food species for most game fish.
Improving the water quality in Little Rock Lake has been a goal of an active lake association as well as local government and state agencies. Work has been done with landowners in the watershed to reduce nutrient run-off to streams feeding the lake. The Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District is conducting a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) study on the lake to identify nutrient sources and needed remedies.

What is the average air temp for Little Rock Lake?