With 11 lakes, two beaches and 2 full-service marinas, it’s easy to enjoy a day in the sun in Hot Springs Village, AR. Swim, boat, fish, water ski or just kick back and relax at one of the lakeside beach pavilions. Take out your boat, canoe, kayak, or paddle board for an up-close and personal experience.

Hot Springs Village’s Lake Balboa is the largest lake in the gated community; 944 acres. It’s a great place to enjoy fishing, swimming and water sports of all kinds. Enjoy the balmy days of spring relaxing on the lake’s sandy beach, cook dinner on a nearby grill and get ready for a great time. Lake Balboa’s boat ramp is located off Ponce de Leon Drive.

Conveniently located on the lake’s shore, Balboa Marina is a one-stop shop for your water sporting needs. Rent boats, kayaks, paddleboards and more.

Diamond Lakes Region

Lake Hamilton

Created in 1932 when the Arkansas Power and Light Company completed Carpenter Dam on the Ouachita River to generate electricity, Lake Hamilton is a 7,460-acre popular recreational and residential lake. Hill Wheatley Park, located on the shore, has a popular swim area with a man-made sandy beach, picnic facilities, and restrooms.

Water-skiing, pleasure boating, and fishing are popular Hot Springs attractions on Lake Hamilton and rentals of watercraft and sport accessories are readily available. 

Lake Catherine

A 1,940-acre recreational lake known for its excellent bass and crappie fishing; formed by Carpenter and Remmel dams. Lake Catherine State Park offers a full-service marina with year-round boat rentals and a launch ramp, and the park features a pavilion, picnic sites, playgrounds, and a well-marked nature trail that leads to a waterfall. The state park also has 20-fully equipped cabins overlooking the Lake Catherine with a private beach and fishing pier. Guided horseback rides are offered seasonally.

Lake Ouachita

Famous for its pristine water and scenic beauty, Lake Ouachita is the largest lake in the state, and one of our closest neighbors, with boating, fishing, paddle boarding, spear fishing, scuba diving, and camping. The lake has rugged shoreline with lots of islands and hidden coves and is a favorite for bass fishing. 

Lake DeGray

As evidenced by its popularity for fishing, camping, swimming, water-skiing, and other water sports, the 13,400-acre DeGray Lake is a prime vacation and weekend getaway in west-central Arkansas. Situated among ridges of the Ouachita Mountains and formed by a dam across the Caddo River, the lake has more than 700 campsites, ranging from full hook-ups to primitive, and some 15 boat-launching ramps on its shores. Houseboating, sailing, and scuba ping are also popular, as is observing bald eagles that winter on DeGray. 

Fishing

Discover some of our favorite fishing holes! Our lakes have many species of fish including bass, catfish, bluegill and sunfish (crappie). Local marinas offer boat rentals, live bait, and fishing tackle. If you prefer professional advice, arrange a half-day or full-day fishing charter with Jimmy C. Barnes. He provides all of the tackle and gear; call 501-620-0732.

Test your skill at kayak fishing, another fun way to enjoy the thrill of fishing. Kayaks are affordable, easy to maneuver and you can launch them just about anywhere. In fact, kayaks may give you access to areas conventional boats cannot.

Temporary Usage Tag or an Annual Boat Decal from the Community Association is required for all boating. Call HSV POA Member Services at 501-922-5556 for more information. In addition, all U.S. and Arkansas fishing and boating regulations apply including the requirement of an Arkansas fishing license.

River Fishing for Trout

The tailwaters below Blakely, Carpenter, and Remmel Dams on the Ouachita River are seasonally stocked to enhance opportunities for anglers in the southern part of the state to fish for trout. Catchable rainbow trout are stocked from November through April, when water temperatures are cooler.  

Carpenter Dam Park is a wonderful park on the east end of Lake Hamilton right next to the dam. This park covers approximately 15 acres and is perfect for spending the afternoon picnicking and marveling at the beauty of nature. Rainbow trout and striper are in abundance right at the base of Carpenter Dam, where the cold water rushes out below the water line. There are some accessible and wadable shoals near the dam, where fly fishers regularly cast for rainbow trout.

Blakely Dam Blakely Mountain Dam is located just six miles from Piney, in Garland County, near Mountain Pine. In addition to tiger trout, fishermen will find a variety of fish including flathead catfish, whitefish, crappie, bream/bluegill, largemouth bass, walleye, and catfish. Whatever the mode of fishing—fly fishing, spinning, or bait-casting—Blakely Dam is a perfect destination for those who enjoy spending a day casting for trout on a cool mountain stream.

Remmel Dam is situated on the Ouachita River at Jones Mills (Hot Spring County). The dam impounds Lake Catherine, and together with Carpenter Dam in Hot Springs (Garland County), provides hydroelectric power for southern Arkansas. Rainbow trout are plentiful in the upper part of Lake Catherine below the dam. Expert anglers suggest using power bait on light Carolina rigs (in heavy current) or trout magnets (in slack water areas.) Whether you are a match angler or a weekend hobbyist, enjoy trout fishing in the cool waters of Remmel Dam.

Regional Rivers

Caddo River

Above the lake, the Caddo River is rated as an excellent “family” float stream, and outfitters, cabins, and other lodging are available. Below DeGray, the Caddo continues some four miles before joining the lower Ouachita River just north of Arkadelphia. 

Ouachita River

Below Lake Ouachita, the Ouachita River continues through the Ouachita Mountains, though two dams interrupt its flow near the resort town of Hot Springs to form lakes Hamilton and Catherine. Below Lake Catherine, the stream travels south past Arkadelphia before leaving the Ouachita Mountain region and entering the West Gulf Coastal Plain, also known in Arkansas as the Timberlands region. 

Great Kayak Fishing Spot! The Ouachita River provides excellent seasonal fishing for rainbow trout.  

Saline River

Paddle your canoe on the Saline River, one of the last major undammed streams in the Ouachita Mountain system. The river offers excellent fishing, scenery and backcountry floating and is considered one of the most underrated fishing rivers in Arkansas with smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass.

Saline River Canoe (4444 Hwy. 5, Benton, 501-749-2266) offers canoe, kayak & tube rentals, shuttle & guide services and store with restaurant & supplies on the Saline River. 

Arkansas: The Natural State

Arkansas is indeed a natural state with more than 2.9 million acres in three national forests, 600,000 acres of lakes, 9,000 miles of streams and rivers, and 1,500 miles of hiking trails. With an abundant population of game animals, hunters from around the world come to duck hunt in Stuttgart, trout fish the White River, and hook a trophy hybrid bass on Lake Ouachita. Other natural wonders of the state include some of the worlds’ finest quartz crystals (here in the Ouachita region) and the only diamond mine open to the public (near Murfreesboro).

And sitting at the heart of the state, Hot Springs Village is in the center of it all!