Flathead Catfish in Arkansas
flathead catfish under the Code in effect July 1, 2026.
- 10 a daystatewide
- 80 lbs., 0 oz.state record
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What the Code and AGFC say on Flathead Catfish
The statewide line covering flathead catfish reads "daily limit of 10 catfish (all species combined) with no length restrictions". 42 water-specific exceptions in N1.01 change it, from Arkansas River onward.
Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita and Lake Dardanelle head the 374 pages whose AGFC target list includes it. AGFC defines it as a game fish in Code 01.00-C. 2 state records for it appear on the AGFC list.
AGFC Code of Regulations, N1.01(G), effective July 1, 2026 (policy text), read November 8, 2026.
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| Water | Rule as written | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River | Daily limit includes an additional 10 Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(1) |
| Big Timber Lake (Clark County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(2) |
| Blytheville City Park Lake (Mississippi County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(3) |
| Cave City's Lakes (Sharp County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(4) |
| Crowley Ridge State Park Lake (Greene County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(5) |
| Devils Den State Park (Washington County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(6) |
| DeWitt City Park Lake (Arkansas County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(7) |
| Donald Branch Fishing Pond (Monroe County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(8) |
| Forrest City Park Lake (St. Francis County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(9) |
| Grand Lake (Chicot County) | No daily limit. | N1.01(G)(10) |
| Gunner Pool (Stone County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(11) |
| Gurdon Lake (Clark County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(12) |
| Hayden Bend Pond (Stone County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(13) |
| Hidden Lake (Carroll County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(14) |
| Hindsville Lake (Madison County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(15) |
| Horseshoe Lake (Crittenden County) | Daily limit includes an additional 10 Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(16) |
| Hubble Lake (Clay County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(17) |
| Lake Atalanta (Benton County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(18) |
| Lake Bailey (Conway County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(19) |
| Lake Bennett (Faulkner County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(20) |
| Lake Cambadelle (Crawford County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(21) |
| Lake Chicot (including that portion of Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou’s mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam) and between the main levees of the Mississippi River, from the confluence of the Mississippi/White rivers upstream to the Benzal Railroad Bridge, and from the confluence of the Mississippi/Arkansas rivers upstream to the Yancopin Railroad Bridge | No daily limit. | N1.01(G)(22) |
| Lake Clearfork (Garland County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(23) |
| Lake Erling (Lafayette County) | Daily limit includes an additional 10 Blue Catfish; no daily limit on Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(24) |
| Lake June (Lafayette County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(25) |
| Lake Lou Emma (Crawford County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(26) |
| Lake Pickthorne (Lonoke County) | Daily limit includes an additional 10 Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(27) |
| Lake Sylvia (Perry County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(28) |
| Little River (below Millwood Dam), Red and Sulphur rivers | No daily limit on Blue and Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(29) |
| Marion City Park Lake (Crittenden County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(30) |
| Marion McCollum Lake Greenlee (Monroe County) | No daily limit on Channel Catfish. | N1.01(G)(31) |
| Newark City Lake (Independence County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(32) |
| Old Davidsonville State Park Lake (Randolph County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(33) |
| Ouachita River (from Sandy Beach access (Ouachita County) to Remmel Dam) | Flathead Catfish 20-inch minimum. | N1.01(G)(34) |
| Reynolds Park Lake (Greene County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(35) |
| Shady Lake (Polk County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(36) |
| Spring Lake, Kingfisher, Clubhouse Lakes in Petit Jean WMA (Yell County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(37) |
| Truman Baker Lake (Scott County) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(38) |
| USDA Forest Service ponds and lakes | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(39) |
| Village Creek State Park Lakes (Cross and St. Francis Counties) | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(G)(40) |
AGFC Code of Regulations, N1.01(G)(1), effective July 1, 2026 (policy text), read November 8, 2026.
Arkansas flathead catfish record entries
| AGFC listing | Weight | Division | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish, Flathead | 80 lbs., 0 oz. | rod and reel | Arkansas River | October 28, 1989 |
| Catfish, Flathead | 85 lbs., 6 oz. | unrestricted tackle | Blackfish Lake | June 10, 2019 |
Arkansas state record fish as listed by AGFC (record list), read November 8, 2026.
Lakes and creeks for flathead catfish in Arkansas
Each water below carries "catfish" on its AGFC fishing area page, which names fish to target rather than reporting catches.
Arkansas lakes for flathead catfish
- Bull Shoals Lake48,225 acres
- Lake Ouachita40,000 acres
- Lake Dardanelleabout 34,067 acres of mapped outline
- Table Rock Lakeabout 33,821 acres of mapped outline
- Greers Ferry Lake32,000 acres
- Beaver Lakeabout 28,026 acres of mapped outline
- Millwood Lakeabout 19,318 acres of mapped outline
- DeGray Lake13,400 acres
- Ozark Lakeabout 9,421 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Maumelle8,900 acres
- Lake Greeson7,260 acres
- Lake Erling7,100 acres
- Lake Conway6,700 acres
- Lake Hamiltonabout 6,673 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Chicot5,500 acres
- Nimrod Lake3,550 acres
- Lake Columbia3,000 acres
- Blue Mountain Lakeabout 2,974 acres of mapped outline
- Horseshoe Lake (Crittenden County)about 2,386 acres of mapped outline
- Lake Catherine1,940 acres
- Cane Creek Lake1,700 acres
- DeQueen Lake1,680 acres
- Lake Georgia-Pacificabout 1,560 acres of mapped outline
- Old Town Lake1,425 acres
Arkansas rivers for flathead catfish
- White RiverArkansas County
- Arkansas RiverArkansas County
- Ouachita RiverBradley County
- St. Francis RiverClay County
- Saline RiverAshley County
- Black RiverClay County
- Little Red RiverCleburne County
- Petit Jean RiverLogan County
- Mississippi RiverChicot County
- Little Missouri RiverClark County
- Crooked CreekMarion County
- Spring RiverFulton County
- Cache RiverMonroe County
- Raft CreekPrairie County
- Bayou De ViewMonroe County
- Point Remove CreekConway County
- Robe BayouMonroe County
- Kings RiverCarroll County
AGFC public fishing areas map (agfc.com), read November 8, 2026.
Arkansas fish counted with flathead catfish
- Blue CatfishCatfish (Except Bullhead)
- Channel CatfishCatfish (Except Bullhead)
Photo of Flathead Catfish: ted_rocket, CC BY-SA 2.0
Before you go after flathead catfish in Arkansas
Which Arkansas limit applies to flathead catfish?
The statewide wording is "daily limit of 10 catfish (all species combined) with no length restrictions".
Is the flathead catfish rule the same on every Arkansas water?
Yes. The Code names 42, for example Arkansas River.
What does the AGFC list show for flathead catfish?
80 lbs., 0 oz. out of Arkansas River, October 28, 1989.
What lakes does AGFC list for flathead catfish?
374 waters, led by Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita and Lake Dardanelle.
Does Arkansas count flathead catfish as a game fish?
Yes, it is on the Code 01.00-C game fish list.
What Arkansas license covers a day after flathead catfish?
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.
Who keeps the Arkansas flathead catfish record?
AGFC reviews applications for fish over 8 ounces and records them in whole ounces.
What about possession limits for flathead catfish?
None is printed: the Code text read defines only daily and seasonal limits.
Pick a water for flathead catfish
Every water linked above shows its ramps and limits.