Fishing in Arkansas
Ozark reservoirs, White River trout tailwaters, Ouachita lakes, Arkansas River pools and Delta oxbows, with the AGFC Code limits for every water.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 329lakes
- 85rivers
- 705ramp pages
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Bull Shoals Lake: Semipaw, CC BY 3.0
Arkansas lakes, tailwaters, rivers and bayous
Arkansas fishing runs from the clear Ozark reservoirs of the north, Bull Shoals, Norfork, Beaver and Greers Ferry, and the cold trout tailwaters below their dams, through the Ouachita Mountain lakes around Hot Springs, to the Arkansas River pools, the oxbows of the Delta and the bayous of the south.
This guide holds 329 lake and pond pages, 85 river and creek pages, 9 Arkansas River pool pages, 6 trout tailwater pages, 705 boat ramp pages, 165 shore fishing sites, all 75 counties and 191 towns, each with the AGFC Code limits for its water.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The largest Arkansas lakes and reservoirs on this site
Bull Shoals Lake
48,225 acres, Baxter County and 2 other counties
Lake pageLake Ouachita
40,000 acres, Garland and Montgomery counties
Lake pageLake Dardanelle
about 34,067 acres of mapped outline, Pope County and 3 other counties
Lake pageTable Rock Lake
about 33,821 acres of mapped outline, Carroll County
Lake pageGreers Ferry Lake
32,000 acres, Cleburne and Van Buren counties
Lake pageBeaver Lake
about 28,026 acres of mapped outline, Benton and Washington counties
Lake pageMillwood Lake
about 19,318 acres of mapped outline, Little River County
Lake pageNorfork Lake
about 18,811 acres of mapped outline, Baxter County
Lake pageArkansas rivers with AGFC accesses and gauges
White River
Arkansas County and 12 other counties
River pageArkansas River
Arkansas County and 12 other counties
River pageOuachita River
Bradley County and 9 other counties
River pageBuffalo National River
Marion County and 2 other counties
River pageSaline River
Ashley County and 6 other counties
River pageMississippi River
Chicot County and 4 other counties
River pageLittle Missouri River
Clark County and 2 other counties
River pageCrooked Creek
Marion County
River pageArkansas trout tailwaters
- Narrows TailwaterLittle Missouri River from 100 yards below Narrows Dam to Muddy Fork Road
- Greers Ferry TailwaterLittle Red River from 100 yards below Greers Ferry Dam to the Arkansas Highway 305 Bridge
- Norfork TailwaterNorth Fork of the White River from 100 yards below Norfork Dam to the confluence of the White River
- Ouachita River Tailwaters (below Blakely, Carpenter and Remmel dams)statewide trout limits
- Bull Shoals TailwaterWhite River from 100 yards below Bull Shoals Dam to Arkansas Highway 58 Bridge at Guion
- Beaver TailwaterWhite River from 100 yards below Beaver Dam to boat ramp at Houseman Access
Arkansas family fishing ponds and shore sites
AGFC stocks 50 town and park ponds with channel catfish in spring and fall and rainbow trout in winter. Most have bank access and a pier; the shore fishing directory adds AGFC piers and bank areas on the bigger lakes.
Arkansas fishing dates to keep
- Free Fishing Weekend 2026: June 12 to 14no license or trout permit needed
- Free Fishing Weekend 2027: not announced yetAGFC had not published it
- Code addenda in force: July 1, 2026the limits quoted on this site
- Program pond trout: November to Februarycatfish April to June and September to October
Arkansas bass tournaments and results
13 upcoming events and posted results on Dardanelle, Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry, Ouachita, Hamilton and other Arkansas lakes, each with its organizer source.
The heaviest Arkansas state record fish
- Gar, Alligator, 215 lbs., 0 oz.Arkansas River
- Paddlefish, 127 lbs., 6 oz.Beaver Lake
- Catfish, Blue, 116 lbs., 12 oz.Mississippi River
- Buffalo, Black, 105 lbs., 0 oz.Harris Brake Lake
- Buffalo, Black, 92 lbs., 8 oz.Lake Maumelle
- Catfish, Flathead, 85 lbs., 6 oz.Blackfish Lake
Hiring a guide, finding tackle and packing gear in Arkansas
- Fishing guides48 listings
- Bait and tackle shops192 shops and marinas
- Crappie jigs and slip floats on Amazonfor Arkansas brush piles and oxbows
- Trout tailwater drift rigs on Amazonfor the White and Little Red
Pick an Arkansas water, county or town
- Lakes and ponds329 lakes
- Rivers and creeks85 rivers
- Countiesall 75
- Towns191 towns
- Species33 fish
- Water levelsCorps readings and USGS gauges
Arkansas rules, records and directories
- All Arkansas waters A to Zevery lake, river, pool, county, town and fish page
- Arkansas license prices and limitsAGFC prices, statewide N1.01 table, Code sections
- Water-specific limitseach N1.01 exception, sorted by water
- Trout waters and permitsN1.03 tailwater rules and Code 27.01 permit reaches
- Rod-or-pole and border watersCode 26.08 county list, Addendum H1 agreements
- Trout fishingBull Shoals, Norfork, Beaver, Greers Ferry and other tailwaters
- Family and Community Fishing pondstown ponds AGFC stocks with catfish and trout
- Free Fishing Weekendthe June weekend when no license is needed
- Arkansas state recordsrod and reel and unrestricted tackle marks
- Stocking dateslast-stocked dates AGFC prints for program ponds
- Lake levels and river flowsCorps dam readings and USGS gauges
- Boat rampsAGFC and Corps launches by county
- Shore fishingpiers, bank areas and walk-in sites
- Bait and tackle shopstackle counters, fly shops and marinas
- Fishing guideslisted guide services with phones
- Tournamentsbass trails, club events and posted winners
- Endangered fishsix fish on the state endangered list
Natural State angling questions with short answers
What does AGFC charge for a fishing license?
Anglers 16 and older need an Arkansas fishing license; AGFC prints $10.50 for the Resident Fisheries Conservation License and $60 for the nonresident annual license.
Which Arkansas lake on this site is the largest?
Bull Shoals Lake, 48,225 acres.
When can I fish Arkansas without a license?
During Free Fishing Weekend: noon June 12 through midnight June 14 in 2026; the 2027 dates have not been announced.
Where are Arkansas limits set?
In the AGFC Code of Regulations: the statewide N1.01 table, water exceptions in N1.01 and trout rules in N1.03, with addenda effective July 1, 2026.
Where are the best Arkansas trout waters?
The tailwaters below Bull Shoals, Norfork, Beaver and Greers Ferry dams, plus the Little Missouri below Narrows and the Spring River.
Does Arkansas set a possession limit?
The Code in force defines daily and seasonal limits only and states no possession multiple.
Does an Arkansas license work on the Mississippi River border water?
Yes, within the reciprocal agreements with Mississippi and Tennessee quoted on the border waters page.
Where are Arkansas tournaments listed?
On the Arkansas tournaments page, with upcoming events and posted winners.