Norfork Lake, AR

Norfork Lake has more than 550 miles of shoreline and covers some 22,000 acres. There are 19 developed parks that provide plenty of opportunities for camping and for water sports. Boating, water skiing, diving and swimming are all extremely popular on the lake. Commercial docks on the lake have boats, motors, guides, and equipment for diving. In addition to parks for camping, there are many resorts offering accommodations, some with private docks, swimming pools, and other recreational amenities.

Almost all varieties of fresh water game fish are found in the lake, which is fed by the North Fork River and its tributaries. Bass, walleye, crappie, bream and catfish all make their home in its waters. Striped bass in the 25-40 lb. class are caught each year. Black bass fishing is at its best from September through May, and an increasingly popular sport on the lake is night fishing with lights for crappie and white bass. The North Fork River below the dam is a popular and productive trout fishing stream, and the Norfork National Fish Hatchery, available for tours, assures a continuous supply of trout to maintain the populations of the North Fork, the White and other area trout streams. A former world-record brown trout was taken from the river in 1988. A state-record 4-pound 12-ounce brook trout was caught in 2000.