Lake Catherine

The Lake at a Glance

Lake Catherine covers approximately 1,940 acres and stretches roughly 11 miles through Ouachita Mountain valleys between Remmel Dam at the downstream end and the tailrace area above where Lake Hamilton's outflow enters. It is the smallest of the five Diamond Lakes -- the chain of Entergy-managed reservoirs that also includes Lake Hamilton, Lake Ouachita, DeGray Lake, and Lake Greeson. The lake's elongated shape through mountain terrain creates narrow passages between shoreline ridges that give way to broader main coves and bays, and a meaningful share of the shoreline sits within Lake Catherine State Park rather than private residential development.

The lake is entirely within Garland County, the same county that contains Hot Springs and Lake Hamilton, and buyers can reach downtown Hot Springs in roughly 15 to 20 minutes from most points on the lake. Entergy Arkansas owns and operates Remmel Dam and holds the FERC license governing the lake's shoreline, water levels, and every private dock built along it -- the same regulatory framework that governs neighboring Lake Hamilton.

Buyers frequently cross-shop Lake Catherine against Lake Hamilton, and the comparison is useful: both lakes share the same Entergy FERC framework and the same Garland County tax assessor, but Catherine is less developed, with fewer commercial marinas and lower boat traffic. State park land along a meaningful stretch of shoreline limits residential density, and buyers who choose Catherine over Hamilton often do so deliberately -- trading boat-in dining and nighttime wake traffic for quiet coves, more natural shoreline, and entry prices that leave more room in the budget.

What Buyers Need to Know First

The most consequential fact for a Lake Catherine buyer is the same one that trips up Lake Hamilton buyers: the dock does not automatically come with the house. Docks sit on Entergy-owned land under the same FERC license that governs the entire Diamond Lakes chain, and the existing permit is registered to the seller, not the property. It does not transfer automatically at closing -- the buyer must apply, submit documentation, and receive Entergy approval before the transfer is complete, and a lapsed or non-compliant dock can complicate or delay a sale.

Second, Lake Catherine is not a cheap lake to own despite its smaller size and quieter profile. Entergy's permit system, an annual winter drawdown that exposes docks for months at a time, and a full lakefront insurance stack all apply here exactly as they do on Hamilton. Buyers should model the complete annual cost picture -- not just the purchase price -- before making an offer, and should verify current dock permit status directly with Entergy rather than assuming a listed dock is transferable as shown.

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