Lake Chicot

Lake Chicot
Lake Chicot from Lake Village, Arkansas
Lake Chicot is located in Arkansas
Lake Chicot
Lake Chicot
Lake Chicot is located in the United States
Lake Chicot
Lake Chicot
LocationChicot County, Arkansas
Coordinates33°19′21″N 91°16′42″W / 33.32250°N 91.27833°W / 33.32250; -91.27833
TypeOxbow lake
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface elevation105 ft (32 m)

Lake Chicot (/ˈʃk/ SHE-ko) is a lake adjacent to the Mississippi River.[1] The lake is located on the east side of Lake Village, Arkansas in Chicot County. It is the largest oxbow lake in North America, as well as the largest natural lake in Arkansas.[2]

The name Chicot, French for "stumpy," refers to the many cypress stumps and trees along the lake banks.[3] The lake is approximately 0.75 miles (1.21 km) wide and 21–22 miles (34–35 km) long from end to end.[4]

The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism operates Lake Chicot State Park on the northern end of the lake, which includes fishing, boating, and camping facilities, as well as a wildlife museum. Chicot County also operates a county park on the eastern side of the lake across from Lake Village.[5]

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Lake Chicot
  2. ^ "Lake Chicot State Park | Arkansas State Parks". www.arkansasstateparks.com. 2022-06-09. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  3. ^ Gatewood, Willard B. (2016), "Sunnyside", Shadows Over Sunnyside, University of Arkansas Press, pp. 3–24, doi:10.2307/j.ctt1zgwj23.6, ISBN 978-1-61075-376-0
  4. ^ "Encyclopedia of Arkansas". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  5. ^ "Lake Chicot State Park, an Arkansas State Park located near Greenville". www.stateparks.com. Retrieved 2020-04-03.