HAVANA, Ark. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Little Rock District and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will begin lowering Blue Mountain Lake on May 1, 2026, to support habitat improvement efforts for fish and waterfowl.
USACE will release water from Blue Mountain Dam to lower the lake from elevation 384 to elevation 374 over approximately three months. The lake is expected to reach its target elevation by July 25 and will remain there until Nov. 1. Water levels will gradually return to elevation 384 after that date, depending on rainfall.
USACE coordinates drawdowns at the suggestion of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission based on ongoing monitoring of fish populations. The last drawdown at Blue Mountain Lake occurred in 2012.
The drawdown supports habitat improvement efforts that benefit anglers and waterfowl hunters. The drawdown will consolidate fish populations into deeper water, improving fishing success while allowing sunlight to reach newly exposed lakebed areas. This promotes vegetation growth that will enhance habitat when the lake refills.
USACE will also use the drawdown to perform maintenance on the swim beach, boat ramps and buoys. The swim beach will be closed during maintenance. Boaters may access the lake through a temporary ramp at Ashley Creek Park only. Water skiing, tubing and personal watercraft use will be prohibited during the drawdown.
Boaters are encouraged to wear a life jacket and exercise caution during the drawdown due to shallow water and submerged hazards throughout the lake.
For more information, contact the Nimrod-Blue Mountain Site Office at 479-272-4324.
Recreation information can be found on the Internet at www.swl.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/littlerockusace and on the USACE Little Rock water level mobile app at www.swl.usace.army.mil/Home/water-control-app/.
Release no. 26-033