Diving Arkansas' Fearless Rock Underwater Memorial

The largest lake in Arkansas should be on your diving bucket list this summer: Lake Ouachita is a 40,000-acre body of water west of Little Rock near the town of Hot Springs, with a state park that includes camping.

It’s considered one of the cleanest lakes in the United States, with incredible conditions for divers venturing below.

“Our underwater topography surprises everyone,” says Mike Taylor, PADI Master Instructor and owner of Ocean Extreme Dive and Travel Center, Inc. in North Little Rock. “Most of our lakes in Arkansas are man-made, power-generating lakes. We’re seeing [flooded hills] from the top down.”

Taylor’s full-service dive facility is based at Mountain Harbor Resort, on the western side of the lake. He provides air fills farther east at Brady Mountain Resort, which is closer to the Blakely Mountain Dam on the Ouachita River.

Dive Conditions

As far as the lake’s conditions go, Taylor says surface temperatures can reach 90 degrees in the summer months, but divers should be prepared for a “pretty abrupt thermocline,” which starts at about 10 feet in March and gradually drops to around 30 feet in summer. Still, most divers are comfortable in a rash guard and board shorts at that time of year, but a wetsuit is a good idea if you’re diving in the colder months. Visibility also varies, so divers will find it stretching anywhere from 10 feet to 40 feet, depending on rainfall and seasonal changes.

Must-See Diving and Wildlife

Taylor appreciates the diverse aquatic life found in the lake, including freshwater jellyfish, catfish, drum, bass and fist-size freshwater sponges that grow on underwater trees submerged when the lake was filled. One of the sites where divers cross paths with wildlife, alongside other unexpected encounters, is Fearless Rock. Taylor says this site—home to the country’s first underwater veterans memorial—is especially popular with divers because it’s accessible without a boat.

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To reach the rock, start at Blakely Mountain Dam on the east side of the lake, south of Lake Ouachita State Park. “Look for the red rock and go down about 20 to 25 feet in front of it,” says Sarah Heer, owner and chief creator of Arkie Travels. Heer received her PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification at University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During her first visit to Lake Ouachita in 2023, she dived Fearless Rock.

“I travel the state of Arkansas and beyond, talking about all the cool things to do here through photography and video on social media, and Fearless Rock is definitely a hidden gem,” Heer says. “What's cool is that at the base of the dam where Fearless Rock is located, there’s also a dive park. You can find a ‘swim-up bar,’ signs and skeletons—all connected by ropes.”

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Before visiting, divers can check the water levels and streamflow from United States Geological Survey data. In the 43 years that he’s been diving, Taylor has seen shifts among the dive community in Arkansas, from the 1970s, when pretty much all diving was local and only those with means could go on dive trips to the Caribbean, to today, when the warmer regions are more accessible and local diving is being rediscovered. For Heer, diving here means making more ties in an already strong group.

“I love how close-knit the dive community is in Arkansas,” Heer says. “Everyone is always available to answer questions and help point you in the right direction.”

Related Reading: Best Destinations to Dive With Big Animals

Site Spotlight: Alligator Gar

Although actual alligators are known to inhabit the Ouachita River, Lake Ouachita is home to another “alligator” species: fish with long snouts known as alligator gar (Lepisosteus spatula). These gar are one of the largest freshwater-inhabiting fish in the

United States, topping out at 300 pounds and 10 feet long in adulthood. The record for the largest alligator gar caught in Arkansas is 215 pounds.

Warm temperatures and plentiful bait keep gator gar, as they are known, happy and thriving in their environment, where they act as natural apex predators at the top of the food chain—an important role that keeps other species in check and ecosystems functioning.

While their meat is safe to consume, their eggs contain a toxin that is poisonous if eaten, a defense against predators.

Need to Know

Certification

Enroll in a PADI Discover Local Diving experience to learn more about a new area or environment in your backyard this year.

When to Visit

The dive season runs from March through October.

Local Resources

Lake Levels in Arkansas (and beyond) lakelevels.info

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission agfc.com

PADI Shop

Ocean Extreme Dive & Travel Center, Inc. oceanextreme.com