Catherine Lake Fishing Spot

• Elevation: 402'
• Last Modified By: vinny60 on 09/10/09 07:15 PM
• Ask about Catherine Lake in our Fishing Forums

Nestled in the natural beauty of the Ouachita Mountains on 1,940-acre Lake Catherine, one of the five popular Diamond Lakes in the Hot Springs area, Lake Catherine State Park features CCC/Rustic Style facilities constructed of native stone and wood by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Situated along the lakeshore are the park's 18 cabins that feature fully-equipped kitchens. Most have wood-burning fireplaces. The park's fully-accessible cabin, the Polly Crews Cabin, was designed in detail to serve the needs of visitors with disabilities. The cabin also includes its own private and fully-accessible fishing pier and boat dock. The 1,160-square-foot cabin is a design inspired by the rustic architectural designs of five other cabins in the park. An accessible parking space and path provide barrier-free access to the cabin. The two-bedroom cabin includes a bathroom offering both a spa tub and a roll-in shower. Just outside the cabin's screened porch overlooking the lake is a large flagstone patio with a picnic table and pedestal grill. Sixty-eight campsites (Class B) and two Rent-A-Camp sites offer lake views and woodland views. The park's marina, open in summer only, sells bait and fuel. Rental boats are available throughout the year. The park features a launch ramp, standard pavilion, picnic sites, playgrounds, laundry and trails. Gifts, groceries, snacks and ice are available for sale daily at the visitor center that overlooks the swimming area and nature center (open during the summer only). Park interpreters offer guided hikes, boat tours and programs during summer, or by advance request in other seasons. Guided horseback trail rides are available during the summer months. Just up Catherine Park Road (Ark. 171) from Lake Catherine State Park, Diamondhead, a private resort community also located on Lake Catherine, offers a golf course, snack bar, restaurant and Olympic-size swimming pool that park visitors are welcome to enjoy, too. Diamondhead's golf course is an 18-hole, par 72 championship course with a pro shop, snack bar, cart rentals and a driving range. To reach Lake Catherine State Park, take Exit #97 off I-30 near Malvern and go 12 miles north on Ark. 171 to the park. Lake Catherine was created in a virtual wilderness between Hot Springs and Malvern when the Arkansas Power and Light Co. (now Entergy Corp.) completed Remmel Dam in 1924 to generate electricity. It was the state's first major hydroelectric facility. Though 11 miles long, the lake covers a mere 1,940 acres, nestled in narrow valleys of the Ouachita Mountains. Fishing: Though the lake is popular for water-skiing, swimming and other water sports, anglers come to the lake for its largemouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass, crappie, bream, and catfish and walleye fishing. A rainbow trout fishery, stocked by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, exists in the lake's tailwaters below Remmel Dam.