Greers Ferry Lake

State: Arkansas. Type: reservoir/lake, managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District. Located in Cleburne and Van Buren counties, roughly 60 miles north of Little Rock. Created by the Greers Ferry Dam, built in the early 1960s. Gateway town: Heber Springs. As of research, the Corps' own recreation page cites a surface area of about 31,500 acres and 272 miles of shoreline, with 18 shoreline parks.

Greers Ferry Lake is a large U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir in the Ozark foothills of north-central Arkansas, formed by damming the Little Red River in the early 1960s. It has become one of the state's premier outdoor-recreation destinations, ringed by eighteen Corps-managed shoreline parks that provide campgrounds, marinas, swim beaches, and boat launches. Boating, water-skiing, swimming, and fishing dominate the summer season, while the cold tailwater released from the dam has made the Little Red River just below it one of the most celebrated trout fisheries in the country. The nearby town of Heber Springs serves as the lake's main gateway, offering lodging, dining, and services for visitors drawn by the lake's clear water, deep coves, and long-standing reputation among anglers for record-setting catches.

The lake lies in Cleburne and Van Buren counties in north-central Arkansas, roughly 60 miles north of Little Rock, with the town of Heber Springs serving as its principal gateway community. State highways, including Highway 25, provide access to the dam area and the surrounding shoreline parks.

The Heber Springs/Greers Ferry area shares a humid subtropical climate with hot, muggy summers, when highs commonly reach the 80s and 90s°F, and short, cold winters with lows near or below freezing. Average annual precipitation is around 54 inches. Water-based recreation is naturally most comfortable from late spring through early fall.

Late spring through early fall is the prime window for swimming, boating, and water sports, when both air and water temperatures are at their warmest. Fall brings cooler, quieter conditions well suited to hiking and fishing with fewer crowds. Because the Little Red River below the dam stays cold year-round thanks to water released from deep in the reservoir, trout fishing there remains a draw even in winter.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Greers Ferry Dam across the Little Red River, completing the project and forming the lake in the early 1960s. Filling the reservoir meant flooding a valley that had previously been home to the small community of Higden, whose residents relocated and whose cemeteries had to be moved before the water rose; some accounts describe old structures still visible beneath the surface today. The lake reshaped the regional economy, and the once-modest town of Heber Springs grew substantially as tourism took hold. The cold, oxygen-rich water released from the dam's depths transformed the Little Red River downstream into an internationally recognized trout fishery, and the lake itself has produced record-setting catches, including a world-record hybrid striped bass recognized by the International Game Fish Association in 1997.

Boating, water-skiing, and swimming fill the lake's warmer months, alongside fishing for bass, crappie, catfish, walleye, and hybrid striped bass in waters that have produced past state and international fishing records. Scuba divers also use the lake's clear, deep water. Campers can choose from several Corps-managed campgrounds along the shoreline, and anglers looking for a different experience can fish the tailwater trout fishery on the Little Red River just below the dam. The Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center near the dam adds an indoor option, with historical exhibits and short nature trails nearby.

The Greers Ferry Dam itself and the adjacent Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center are the main built attractions, with the center's exhibits covering the area's history from prehistoric times to the present, an interactive hand-crank hydroelectric demonstration, a trumpeter swan display, and a twenty-minute film on the Little Red River's history. Two nature trails start near the center: the 1.6-mile Mossy Bluff Trail and the shorter, wheelchair-accessible Buckeye Trail. Beyond the dam area, the eighteen shoreline parks and their marinas, and the town of Heber Springs, round out a visit.

Greers Ferry Lake is reached by car, roughly 60 miles north of Little Rock via state highways including Highway 25, which leads to the dam and visitor center area. There is no airport directly on the lake; visitors flying in typically arrive via Little Rock and drive north. Boat launches and marinas at the eighteen shoreline parks provide water access once on site.

As of research, the Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center was open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Recreation areas and shoreline parks generally follow their own dawn-to-dusk or seasonal schedules, and some campgrounds operate only part of the year, so confirm current hours for the specific area you plan to visit.

The Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center is free and open to the public. Individual day-use areas, campgrounds, and boat launches at the shoreline parks may carry their own separate fees, which can be checked through the Corps' recreation pages or recreation.gov before a visit.

A half day is enough for the visitor center and a look at the dam and lake, while a full day or an overnight stay suits boating, fishing, or camping plans.

The Red Apple Inn is a longstanding resort directly on the lake with an on-site golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, and a restaurant overlooking the water. Heber Springs Resort offers rooms and suites with a pool and picnic areas, and a Holiday Inn Express & Suites, the Abbé House Inn bed-and-breakfast, the Narrows Inn near the Narrows Bridge, and Blue Clouds Resort provide further options in and around Heber Springs, alongside numerous Corps-managed campgrounds along the shoreline.

The Red Apple Inn's own restaurant overlooking the lake is a well-known dining option directly on the water. In Heber Springs itself, Peggy Sue's Place has been recommended for classic comfort food, and the town holds most of the area's broader restaurant selection.

Heber Springs town center is the natural first stop beyond the lake itself, and the Little Red River tailwater immediately below the dam is a destination in its own right for trout anglers. Blanchard Springs Caverns and the Ozark National Forest lie within the wider north-central Arkansas region, making for a worthwhile but somewhat longer day trip beyond the immediate lake area.

There is no public transit serving the lake directly, so a personal vehicle is essentially necessary to reach the various parks and marinas. The nearest sizable airport is in Little Rock, roughly an hour's drive to the south.

Wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket while boating or swimming, since parts of the lake reach nearly 200 feet deep. Weather on open water can change quickly, so check forecasts before heading out. Observe posted boundaries between designated swim areas and boat traffic lanes, and anglers fishing the tailwater below the dam should be aware that water releases can change current and depth suddenly, so check generation schedules. Standard precautions against ticks and mosquitoes are worthwhile on shoreline trails.

A life jacket or personal flotation device, sun protection, water shoes, fishing gear along with a valid Arkansas fishing license, a cooler with water and snacks, insect repellent, and layered clothing for changeable lake-side weather.

Reserve Corps-managed campgrounds well ahead through recreation.gov, especially for summer weekends. Check current lake levels and any posted swim advisories before a visit, and consider timing a stop at the Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center around its free summer Saturday programs, offered from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Basing a stay in Heber Springs makes it easy to combine lake time with dining and lodging in one place.

Dial 911 for any emergency anywhere in the United States. For non-emergency questions, the Greers Ferry Project Office can be reached at (501) 362-2416 and the Wm. Carl Garner Visitor Center at (501) 362-9067, per the official swl.usace.army.mil site.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District - Greers Ferry Lake - https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lakes/Greers-Ferry-Lake/

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.