Beaver Lake

A dam justified by drinking water

Most visitors know Beaver Lake for boating and fishing. Its history begins with tap water. Beaver Water District’s account of the region’s water supply explains that the Corps of Engineers could build dams under the Flood Control Act for flood control and hydroelectric power. At Beaver, though, the cost-benefit analysis for those two purposes alone was unfavorable. The federal Water Supply Act let the Corps add a drinking-water supply, and that added benefit made the project worth building. The district then contracted with the Corps for storage in the reservoir.

That decision still shapes the lake. Beaver Water District says it supplies water drawn from Beaver Lake to Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, which distribute it to more than 400,000 people and their industries. Here, keeping the lake clean is a local drinking-water issue. Pack out trash, use proper sanitation facilities and keep fuel and chemicals out of the water.

A reservoir in the White River basin

Beaver Lake sits in the White River basin in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District, operates it. Recreation.gov’s Corps campground listings, such as Horseshoe Bend, describe limestone bluffs and natural caves around the shore and list a fishery that includes largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, bream, white bass, stripers and catfish.

Below the dam the water changes character. The listing for Dam Site River Campground, on the White River just downstream of Beaver Dam, says the cold water of the upper White River supports rainbow and brown trout. Lake fishing and tailwater trout fishing are different trips, with different gear and different rules, and the river below a hydropower dam can rise quickly when water is released.

Stripers in open water and planted cover

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s striped bass page lists Beaver as one of only four Arkansas lakes that receive striped bass stockings. AGFC explains that the fish use deeper open water that holds few other sport fish, where they help keep larger gizzard shad from becoming too abundant. AGFC also notes that stripers run up the lakes’ tributary arms each April but their spawn there is not successful, so the fishery depends on that stocking.

Bass and crappie anglers are more likely to target cover. AGFC has described a major fish-attractor project on Beaver around the Hickory Creek and Monte Ne areas, the Indian Creek arm and Dam Site Island. Crews used lumber “porcupine cribs,” hardwoods removed by the Corps and cedars cut with the Corps’ permission. AGFC publishes GPS waypoints for its attractors, which is a better guide to where cover was placed than a rumor at the ramp. Check the current Arkansas fishing guidebook for limits before you keep fish.

Hobbs: the lake from the land side

Hobbs State Park–Conservation Area is Arkansas’s largest state park, covering 12,173 acres along Beaver Lake’s southern shore. It is mainly a day-use park, built around a 54-mile multi-use trail system for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, with remote primitive campsites and guided kayak tours on the lake from May to October.

Hobbs is also one of two Arkansas state parks that allow regulated hunting, and some trails and campsites close during fall and winter hunting seasons. Check the park’s current trail status before planning an autumn hike.

Choosing an access

The Corps operates a string of campgrounds around the lake. Each Recreation.gov listing carries the current season, amenities and reservations, and those details change from year to year. Pick an access on the arm you plan to fish or paddle, and compare the current elevation with the launch you intend to use.