Cox Creek Lake

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Cox Creek Lake is a man-made lake, created in 1964 by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by damming Cox Creek, a tributary of the Saline River. The dam is at the northeast edge of the lake.

The lake was drained in the mid 1980s to facilitate installation of a new valve at the dam. Previously, the amount of water flowing through the dam was controlled by a manual actuator that looked somewhat like a large steering wheel with a pole going down into the water to turn the valve. Vandals were able to come to the dam and set the flow rate at whatever they wished.

The lake remained drained for about two years while the Game and Fish Commission secured a new valve. They ended up acquiring an old natural gas valve from Arkla, which is actuated via a locked access panel on the dam itself. During the time when the lake was drained, the only pooled water that remained was in the two deep holes which were dug in the lakebed to provide earth for the dam. In the initial days and weeks after the lake was drained, many people were able to be successful at catching fish at these holes, since they then contained a good portion of the fish that had previously been in the entire lake.

Since the lake has been re-filled, the Game and Fish Commission has made improvements to the boat landing area, adding a fishing dock. Previously this area was used for public swimming, but is no longer maintained for that purpose, though people do occasionally still swim there at their own risk.

There are several camping spots available in the area surrounding the boat landing, with hookups available for RVs. The dam area is accessible, as well, but a barricade prevents vehicles from driving over it. At the far end of the dam is a large meadow, beyond which is one of the spillways for the dam. The shore area near this spillway is a particularly good fishing area