Have you heard the one about Lake Ouachita? Lake Ouachita is so clear that harmless jellyfish that can only live in the most pristine environments thrive there. Okay, it’s not a joke, but it is absolutely true. Lake Ouachita is hands down the clearest lake in Arkansas, and it’s the largest lake entirely within the borders of the Natural State. What you might not know about Lake Ouachita is that there are some things hiding there that will drop your jaw. No, I’m not talking about monsters. I’m talking about islands. Lake Ouachita is totally full of islands.
You can find directions to Lake Ouachita here.
Lake Ouachita has calm, cool, and clear water that can be counted on for all kinds of recreation, but what’s hiding in this large lake are some truly incredible islands that you can explore.
Wikimedia/Oemar
The lake is actually a reservoir created by the damming of the Ouachita River back in the sixties. Blakely Mountain Dam is still holding strong, and the views from there are extraordinary, partly because of the islands in the middle of the expansive water.
Flickr/Antrell Williams
No matter where you look around Lake Ouachita, you’re going to see those islands out in the gorgeous lake.
Flickr/Granger Meador
Even once you’re out on the water you can see the islands rising in the distance among the waves.
Flickr/Casey Eisenreich
An aerial view of Lake Ouachita reveals the scale of those islands. What this stunning aerial photo does not reveal is how many islands are out there.
Wikimedia/Unherdable
There’s a good reason there’s no comprehensive image of Lake Ouachita’s islands. Depending on the water level, there are hundreds of islands, large and small, within the more than 40,000 acres of the lake. You read that right. I said hundreds.
Flickr/Granger Meador
The islands are just one reason among many that you should consider spending a weekend on Lake Ouachita. After all, nothing screams adventure like hundreds of uninhabited islands.
Flickr/Karen
To see more of Arkansas’s diamond lakes, click here. For even more adventures you can have in Arkansas, look at this list.
Wikimedia/Oemar
Flickr/Antrell Williams
Flickr/Granger Meador
Flickr/Casey Eisenreich
Wikimedia/Unherdable
Flickr/Karen
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