Lake Conway renovation reaches midpoint as progress accelerates

January 26 - February 1, 2026

Compiled by the Daily Record staff 

Progress to be featured in Jan. 27 public meeting

The large-scale renovation and restoration of Lake Conway has reached a major milestone. Roughly two and a half years into a planned five-year project, officials with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission say the work is not only on schedule, but in several areas ahead of it.

Lake Conway, the state’s largest Game and Fish–owned lake at 6,700 acres, has been undergoing an extensive drawdown, dam replacement, and habitat overhaul since September 2023. On a recent episode of the Arkansas Wildlife Podcast, Trey Reid of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sat down with Nick Feltz, District 10 Fisheries Supervisor, to provide an update on where the project stands and what lake users can expect next.

Major construction progress at the dam

One of the most visible signs of progress is at the dam itself. After months of planning, permitting, and bidding, construction officially began in late October 2025. In just over ten weeks, contractors have already removed the original primary dam structure, prepared the bedrock foundation, and installed compacted stone to support the new design.

Work is also well underway on the auxiliary spillway, which required building an earthen dam, breaching the levee, and conducting extensive dirt work. Drone footage and site photos show the new structures rapidly taking shape.

“For a project of this size, the pace has been impressive,” Feltz said. “This is by far the largest lake renovation the Commission has ever undertaken.”

Fisheries habitat improvements continue

While construction crews focus on infrastructure, fisheries staff have been steadily improving habitat throughout the lake basin. Over the summer, contractors completed mulching along approximately 30 miles of boat lanes, creating wide, clearly defined corridors that will be marked later with utility poles once water returns to the lake.

In October, Commission staff installed roughly 150 new wooden “lean-to” fish habitat structures across five areas of the lake. Built from durable hardwood timbers, these structures are designed to last for many years while providing effective cover for fish without being overly difficult for anglers to fish.

Placement of the structures was carefully planned, often aligning them with bends in the original creek channels where fish are naturally inclined to congregate during warmer months.

Concrete spawning discs engage lake homeowners

One of the most successful habitat initiatives has been the production and distribution of concrete spawning discs. Using simple plastic planter molds and donated concrete from a local company, AGFC staff have produced more than 1,200 spawning structures at a cost of roughly 25 cents each.

Lakefront homeowners have eagerly embraced the program. Once the discs were made available to the public, nearly 1,000 were picked up in short order. Homeowners are allowed to take up to 30 discs at a time, along with gravel provided on-site, and place them where they believe spawning habitat will be most effective.

“This was always about giving people the tools to improve their own stretch of the lake,” Feltz said. “Some homeowners are very interested in habitat work, and this lets them do it efficiently and affordably.”

Removal of condemned docks and structures

Another key component of the renovation has been addressing aging and unsafe docks and boathouses. In mid-2024, the Commission assessed all structures around the lake and identified 175 that met the criteria for condemnation.

Homeowners were notified by certified mail and initially given 12 months to repair or remove condemned structures. That deadline was later extended to the end of 2025 due to weather and ground conditions. Now that the deadline has passed, AGFC crews have begun removing structures that were not addressed by owners.

While the total number of remaining condemned structures is now lower, removals will continue until the shoreline is brought into compliance.

A call to act for 2026

Looking ahead, officials emphasize that 2026 is a critical year for lake homeowners who want to complete habitat projects.

“We are absolutely on track with the five-year timeline, and in some ways ahead of schedule,” Feltz said. “People should not assume they have the full five years to get work done.”

The Commission plans to continue supporting homeowners with habitat materials, including more spawning discs and future community habitat build days at Pierce Creek. These events will allow participants to construct habitat structures on-site and transport them directly to their properties.

Facilities and boat ramp improvements ahead

Beyond in-lake work, improvements to facilities such as boat ramps and parking areas are expected to begin in 2026. These upgrades were intentionally scheduled later in the project to avoid damage from heavy equipment currently using the ramps for construction and habitat operations.

With dam construction advancing, habitat improvements expanding, and infrastructure upgrades on the horizon, anticipation continues to build for the lake’s eventual refilling.

“We want water back in Lake Conway just as much as anyone,” Feltz said. 

Which means anglers back out there with fish on the end of their line as soon as possible.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 in the Mayflower High School Cafeteria to update landowners and any interested anglers about the progress of the Lake Conway renovation project.

“We’ll be able to update people at the meeting about the progress of the dam and plans for the coming year,” Feltz said. 

There is no registration required to participate in the upcoming public meeting, and anyone interested in hearing more details about the lake renovation is encouraged to attend. Visit www.agfc.com/lakeconway for a timeline of the project, including each component of the renovation to date.

Compiled from news releases from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Wildlife Podcast, episode 83.  

Photo Caption:

A birds-eye view of the work being done at Lake Conway in Faulkner County. 

Photo Credit:

(Courtesy Arkansas Game and Fish Commission)