Lake Hamilton

Lake Hamilton was created in 1932 when the Arkansas Power and Light Co. completed Carpenter Dam on the Ouachita River to generate electricity. The shore is lined with condominiums, resorts, motels, restaurants and private homes. Hamilton is 7200 acres and approximately 18 miles long.

Water-skiing, parasailing, pleasure boating and fishing are popular Hot Springs attractions on Lake Hamilton and rentals of watercraft and sport accessories are readily available. Garvan Woodland Gardens is a 210-acre, lakeshore botanical garden accessible by boat.

Lake Hamilton is located on the southern edge of Hot Springs, Arkansas's most popular tourist destination.

Public Boat Ramps on Lake Hamilton:

Hulsey Ramp:

Parking area will accommodate 100 vehicles. The boat ramp is 60 feet wide by 135 feet long.

Wheatley Ramp:

Sunnybrook Landing at Entergy Park by Carpenter Dam.

Gideon's ramp on Treasure Isle Rd, privately owned $2 per launch.

Lake Hamilton annual winter drawdown:

Entergy has done annual draw downs of 3-5 feet for over 20 years.

Lake Hamilton water draw downs are necessary for a number of reasons, most of which have to do with maintaining and improving the beauty and recreational qualities of the lakes.

Entergy list the primary reasons for draw downs as:

Allow lakefront property owners to do shoreline construction, maintenance and cleanup.

Nuisance aquatic vegetation control.

An added benefit of draw downs is improvement to overall fisheries on the lake. Draw downs concentrate forage fish, reducing their population and increasing the growth of sport fish that feed on them.

November 7th – 15th 2009: Winter Drawdown begins.

The annual drawdown of Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine will be five feet this year. Both draw downs will begin November 7th and be completely lowered by November 15th. Both lakes will drop 5 - 8 inches per day until completion. The lakes will be returned to normal levels in early March, 2010.

November 30th 2009: Permit Application Deadline.

The deadline is November 30th to submit applications for work to be performed during this winter’s drawdown. Applications received later will not be worked until the lake is refilled in the spring, unless an expedited processing fee is paid by the applicant. Permits must be obtained from Entergy Arkansas for any construction on the lake or shoreline, including docks, seawalls, dredging and filling operations.

Eurasian water milfoil:

In the mid 1990s aquatic vegetation began to be a real problem in Lake Hamilton, covering swimming areas, clogging boat docks and generally fouling the shallower waters.

Intensive research by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission and Entergy lead to a Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan.

The Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan called for the use of more extensive winter draw downs and the stocking of grass carp by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission as the primary methods of “whole-lake” nuisance vegetation control.

The plan was successful and by 1997 a significantly southern naiad reduction occurred in the southern half of the lake, but in recent years a new species of nuisance underwater weed has appeared.

Invading the northern half of Lake Hamilton, Eurasian water milfoil, which is not native to the United States and is rapidly spreading down the lower Ouachita River system. Unlike the native Southern naiad, milfoil is more resistant to winter kill and is not favored by grass carp. In response, Entergy and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission determined in 2002 that two consecutive years of more aggressive 9-footdrawdowns were needed to slow and hopefully reduce this explosive growth.

Entergy understands that many feel that an annual 9-foot drawdown would be excessive, and for that reason we have never intended to make them an annual occurrence. However, research suggests that to be effective against milfoil, draw downs should occur on a prolonged and regular basis. While 9-foot draw downs are effective, they do not completely eradicate milfoil, which unfortunately, grow to depths of 12 feet.

Entergy also has a drought contingency plan which allows a reduction in its required continuous minimum flow from Remmel Dam if severe drought occur.

Search Site

ArkansasStripers.com

Lake Hamilton Bass Guides

Lake Ouachita Fishing Guides

Lake Greeson Fishing Guides

Lake Norfork
Fishing Guides

Hot Springs Striped Bass Guides

Beaver Lake
Fishing Guides

Arkansas Record Striper

Striper Facts

Striper Boats

Striper Recipes

Fish Finders

Live Wells for Stripers

Live Shad
for Stripers

Keeping Live Bait Alive

Catch and Release Can Kill Stripers

Fishing Line

Striper Age Weight Chart

Spawning

Bait Tanks

Cast nets

Striper Seasons

Buy-Swap-Sell

Local Fishing "Slang"

Morone saxatilis

Lake Hamilton

Lake Hamilton annual winter drawdown:

Eurasian water milfoil:

Lake Hamilton Striper Guides