Tournament Facilities
Since its establishment in 1967, Lake Dardanelle State Park has been a peaceful camping and fishing destination because of its location on the shores of Lake Dardanelle, a 34,300-acre reservoir on the Arkansas River. This area is now renowned as one of Arkansas's hottest bass fishing tournament sites. It hosts more than 50 tournaments annually.
The park's facilities include a $161,587 fishing tournament weigh-in pavilion, which opened July 2002. The 1,861-square-foot, weigh-in pavilion serves as the staging area to host tournaments with an estimated total participation of over 8,000 anglers annually, and a projected economic impact to this area of $10 million.
Designed to contain all the elements of a world class, weigh-in pavilion, the structure features a multi-purpose room with an office and a public address system with all the amenities needed for hosting fishing tournaments. This room connects to a covered, outdoor stage area featuring a 250-square-foot stage for weighing, recording and displaying the catch of the day. The stage area is lighted and overlooks a large spectator area. The pavilion includes six large, fish holding tanks. The building is connected by a series of walkways that lead down to the lakeside boat banking area.
