Calion
- Area Specific Regulations
Open to skiing and personal watercraft.
- Area Type
Lake
- Depth
Much of the lake is shallow, averaging less than six feet (2 meters), with a maximum depth of twelve feet (3.5 meters).
- Description
Calion Lake is a 227 hectare (500 acre) impoundment located near the Ouachita River in northern Union County. In 1934 the Works Projects Administration (WPA) constructed the lake upon lands owned by several individuals who leased the surface of the land to Union County for the purpose of constructing a public fishing lake. The County later assigned its surface lease to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), which managed the lake for public fishing. In 2016, the AGFC terminated its assignment of the surface lease, and the County again became the leaseholder. Shortly thereafter, the County reassigned the surface lease to the City of Calion. The U.S. Corps of Engineers constructed the flood control gate and pumping station for the lake, and the County is responsible for maintaining those structures and for regulating the water level of the lake. Much of the lakeshore is privately owned, but anglers have access along the dam and around Crabapple Point Access.
- Major Sportfish
Calion Lake is best known for its bream fishing, but in recent years, Largemouth Bass and crappie populations have shown gradual improvement. The lake has an ample forage base to support a large number of predators. Flood waters from the Ouachita River occasionally flow into the lake providing not only an additional nutrient source, but also a wide variety of fish species.
- Management Plan