Norfork Lake, Missouri & Arkansas, USA

Locals describe Norfork Lake as “unspoiled, uncrowded, and unforgettable.” It is an apt description for this beautiful lake hidden in the Ozark Region of Arkansas and the Southwest Region of Missouri. Most of Norfolk Lake’s 22,000 acres are in Arkansas, with its northern portion extending into Missouri. With many creek bays, branches, and sandy islands, visitors will be charmed by this recreational gem. Built as an impoundment…
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    • All About Norfork Lake, AR/MO

    Lake Locations: USA - US Midwest Region - Missouri - Southwest Missouri - US South Region - Arkansas - Ozarks Region, AR -

    Locals describe Norfork Lake as “unspoiled, uncrowded, and unforgettable.” It is an apt description for this beautiful lake hidden in the Ozark Region of Arkansas and the Southwest Region of Missouri. Most of Norfolk Lake’s 22,000 acres are in Arkansas, with its northern portion extending into Missouri. With many creek bays, branches, and sandy islands, visitors will be charmed by this recreational gem.

    Built as an impoundment of the North Fork of the White River, Norfork Lake was created by the Norfork Dam to control floods and create hydro electric power for north Arkansas. Construction on the concrete gravity dam began in 1941 and was completed in 1944. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the dam for flood control, hydroelectric power, and drinking water. The Corps still manages the dam and lake and has been instrumental in limiting development around the shoreline.

    Hunting around the lake is very good, and there are over 20,000 acres of public land set aside for hunters, with another 10,000 acres designated as wildlife management areas. In fact, Norfork Lake is one of the few places where it is possible to hunt for turkey and fish for stripers from the same boat. The prime hardwood forest, laced with creeks that surround the lake, provides ideal habitat for a robust turkey population; white tailed deer, waterfowl, and game birds abound.

    The lake never freezes, so anglers will find exceptional fishing year round. Healthy populations of largemouth and smallmouth bass, black bass, white bass and stripers, as well as crappie, walleye, and catfish are all found in Norfork Lake, which also hosts several fishing tournaments each year. There are also opportunities for scuba diving and spear fishing. Below the dam, Norfork National Fish Hatchery (one of the largest Federal trout hatcheries east of the Rockies) provides rainbow trout for stocking, adding to the superb trout fishing.

    With over 550 miles of shoreline and 20 developed parks that include 10 recreation areas managed by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Norfork Lake is an ideal outdoor playground. You can enjoy hiking, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, boating, water skiing, hunting, fishing, sightseeing, and bird watching.

    Located just 10 minutes from Norfork Lake is Mountain Home, Arkansas, home to the Blanchard Springs Caverns (the only cave system in the U.S. operated by the Forest Service), Bull Shoals Caverns, Hurricane River Cave, and Mystic Caverns. Other local attractions include the Ozark National Forest, Ozark Highlands National Recreation Trail, and Ozark Mountain Biking Trails. The Ozark Highlands Trail is a 178-mile backpacking trail that winds from the National Forest to the Buffalo National River. Ozark National Forest is a 130,000-acre hardwood forest that offers camping, hiking, and horeseback riding.

    Vacation rentals and real estate are readily available around Norfork Lake in Arkansas. Visitors can explore Norfork Lake on the water by sailboat, speed boat, houseboat, canoe or kayak, or on land by hiking one of the many Corps maintained trails. There are plenty of activities to delight the senses on this “unspoiled, uncrowded, and unforgettable” lake.

    Things to Do at Norfork Lake

    These are some activities in the Norfork Lake, AR/MO area visitors can enjoy:

    • Vacation Rentals
    • Fishing
    • Fishing Tournaments
    • Boating
    • Sailing
    • Swimming
    • Canoeing
    • Kayaking
    • Water Skiing
    • Snorkeling
    • Scuba Diving
    • Camping
    • Hiking
    • Biking
    • Hunting
    • Wildlife Viewing
    • Birding
    • National Forest
    • Playground

    What Kind of Fish Are in Norfork Lake?

    Norfork Lake has been known to have the following fish species:

    • Bass
    • Black Bass
    • Catfish
    • Crappie
    • Largemouth Bass
    • Perch
    • Rainbow Trout
    • Smallmouth Bass
    • Trout
    • Walleye
    • White Bass
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    Find Places to Stay at Norfork Lake

    If you’re considering a Norfork Lake lake house rental or hotel, we’ve made it super easy to find the best rates and compare vacation accommodations at a glance. Save time using this interactive map below.

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    More Sites to Book a Norfork Lake Vacation

    Our interactive Norfork Lake lodging map above is an easy tool for comparing VRBO rental homes and nearby hotels with Booking.com, but there could be times when you need to expand your search for different types of accommodations. Here are some other lake lodging partners we recommend:

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    Norfork Lake Statistics & Helpful Links

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    Lake Type: Artificial Reservoir, Dammed

    Water Level Control: US Army Corps of Engineers

    Surface Area: 22,000 acres

    Shoreline Length: 550 miles

    Normal Elevation (Full Pond): 552 feet

    Minimum Elevation (Min Pond): 510 feet

    Maximum Elevation (Max Pond): 580 feet

    Average Depth: 86 feet

    Maximum Depth: 177 feet

    Water Volume: 1,900,000 acre-feet

    Completion Year: 1944

    Drainage Area: 1,806 sq. miles

    Norfork Lake Map
    Lake Water Level
    Local Weather Forecast

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