Lake Ouachita, Royal, AR

[Jim Robeson]

@Cotay .. really diggin that avatar!! Little Charlton Heston in the Planet of the Apes, very nice!!

 

[farrelltravis]

Very cool pictures @Bruce !

 

[Cotay]

@Cotay .. really diggin that avatar!! Little Charlton Heston in the Planet of the Apes, very nice!!

I need to get a picture of him in the movie rowing in the raft after the Icarus sinks...that might be more appropriate for a boating forum.

 

[BravoMike]

Awesome pictures @Bruce! Ouachita and Hamilton are on my list. Hope to visit sometime in the next year. Having someone there with knowledge of the lake will a great asset.

 

[Bruce]

We joined some neighbors for an Island outing to Lake Ouachita yesterday. Launched at Crystal Springs. Met the rest of our group at Brady Mountain. Grilled lunch and hung out at Island 41. Enjoyed some time on Jet Skis. Dropped the neighbors at Brady then went to Mountain Harbor for dinner. We ended the day by making a moonless run enjoying the stars back to our truck and trailer at Crystal Springs. It was a great day on the water!

 

[txav8r]

Awesome pics @Bruce , I really liked Ouchita the year we went. We will definitely have to hit it again in the future. It is a run from CS to Mountain Harbor! And back at night would require a chart plotter with a route I did in advance! I remember the first big turn to the east from the main lake after leaving Mountain Harbor, to head toward the east end. I was blown away (scared the crap out of me) when I went about 100 yards around the point and looked more closely at the chart plotter and realized there was a big rounded mountain top right below the water out there, surrounded by 100'+ deep water! That is a lake to "know" or to have a good chart and read before you go for sure. But a very safe lake if you do know and study it before you just go running across it. Clear, beautiful, deep, clean, and plenty of coves and cuts to duck in and out of! Thanks again for the pics!

 

[Bruce]

@txav8r, with over 200 islands navigating Lake Ouachita at night without good charts would be a very bad idea. Crystal Springs to Mountain Harbor staying in the deep channel is about 12 miles. We were going slow so it was roughly 40 minutes last night.

You can see the area we were boating in below. The white area is deep water that is always safe. The blue areas can be hazardous when the water is down. The water was down this weekend and we saw lots of trees trunks sticking out of the water in blue areas where they are normally below the surface. They provide a good habitat for fish and leave enough of the lake clear for other boating uses.

You should always be carful when approaching islands on Lake Ouachita. Many will have standing tree trunks or large boulders hidden under the water. We typically back in slowly with someone on the swim deck watching.

 

[Bruce]

Found some pics on @Rana's phone

 

[Wayloncle]

Is that last one, of the cave normally underwater?

 

[Bruce]

Is that last one, of the cave normally underwater?

Yes, the lake is down 7.5 feet from the full level that is has been at for most of the summer. I believe that only the top of the caves would be visible when the lake is full.

The current water level is 570.64. Full is 578 and flood pool is 592. Since 2009 the low is 568 and the high is 588. So we have navigable water all of the time. The marinas are floating docks so they go up and down with the water level.

You can see the current and historical levels at http://ouachita.uslakes.info/Level.asp

 

[gmb501]

Here is a sunrise pic at Lake Ouachita State Park on the eastern side of the lake. It was taken in January 2015 while on a camping trip with my son's Boy Scout troop.

This is a wonderful lake. My grandfather kept a houseboat here so I got to spend a lot of time there while growing up. The lake was so clear when I was a kid, you could easily see 15 feet down in the water. Now days, it not quite as clear due to foreign algae but you can still see I think upwards of 10 feet down. It's very beautiful because the almost all of the shoreline is either owned by the Corps or is in a national forest so there is no shoreline development.

 

[Bruce]

Last night's sunset

 

[farrelltravis]

Bruce, I need some help finding a channel from Texoma to Ouachita. Boat has a 14' beam and 3' draft. Please HELP!!! =)

 

[Bruce]

Bruce, I need some help finding a channel from Texoma to Ouachita. Boat has a 14' beam and 3' draft. Please HELP!!! =)

It is going to require a wide load permit but I promise it will be one way trip.

 

[farrelltravis]

Too far to drive every weekend!!

 

[txav8r]

I envie a little, you guys that have every weekend off!

 

[farrelltravis]

Mel, just start flying float planes!!

 

[PEARCE]

Bruce, I need some help finding a channel from Texoma to Ouachita. Boat has a 14' beam and 3' draft. Please HELP!!! =)

Man, that would be a fun trip wouldn't it! It'd be slow, and probably expensive, but it sure would be fun.

 

[farrelltravis]

Yes, and you better come with! A Sea Ray scout would be great.

 

[PEARCE]

Yes, and you better come with! A Sea Ray scout would be great.

You know we'd be there!