Spotted Bass in Arkansas
What may be kept and where to look for spotted bass in Arkansas.
- 10 a daystatewide
- 7 lbs., 15 oz.state record
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Spotted Bass: the Arkansas rundown
Arkansas writes the spotted bass rule this way: "daily limit of 10 black bass (all species combined) with no length restrictions. Reservoir Smallmouth Bass, daily limit of 6, 12-inch minimum; Flowing Waters Smallmouth Bass, daily limit of 2, 12-inch minimum". It shifts on 52 named waters, Arkansas River and its tributaries included.
It turns up on the AGFC target list of 335 waters, Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita and Lake Dardanelle at the top. Arkansas law files it as a game fish (Code 01.00-C). AGFC keeps 1 state record for it.
AGFC Code of Regulations, N1.01(E), effective July 1, 2026 (policy text), read November 8, 2026.
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| Water | Rule as written | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas River and its tributaries | Largemouth Bass 14-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(1) |
| Bear Creek Lake | Unlawful to possess Largemouth Bass from 13-16 inches. | N1.01(E)(2) |
| Beaver Lake | Daily limit of 6, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(3) |
| Blue Mountain Lake | Largemouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(4) |
| Bob Kidd Lake | Unlawful to possess Largemouth Bass from 13-16 inches. | N1.01(E)(5) |
| Buffalo River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(6) |
| Bull Shoals Lake | Daily limit of 6, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum and Spotted Bass 12-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(7) |
| Caddo River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(8) |
| Cane Creek Lake | Largemouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(9) |
| Crooked Creek | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum; Smallmouth Bass must be immediately returned to the water along boundary of Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation property near Kelley’s Slab Access | N1.01(E)(10) |
| Current River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(11) |
| DeGray Lake | Daily limit of 6 includes an additional 10 Spotted Bass. Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass 13-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(12) |
| Eleven Point River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(13) |
| Felsenthal NWR | Largemouth Bass 13-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(14) |
| Greers Ferry Lake | Only 6 Smallmouth Bass may be included in the daily limit, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass 12-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(15) |
| Illinois River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(16) |
| Kings River | Daily limit of 1 Smallmouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(17) |
| Lake Ashbaugh | Daily limit of 6. | N1.01(E)(18) |
| Lake Atkins | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 21 inches, unlawful to possess any from 16-21 inches. | N1.01(E)(19) |
| Lake Austell | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 20 inches. | N1.01(E)(20) |
| Lake Barnett | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 16 inches. | N1.01(E)(21) |
| Lake Brewer | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 16 inches. | N1.01(E)(22) |
| Lake Catherine | Smallmouth Bass must be immediately returned to the water. | N1.01(E)(23) |
| Lake Chicot (Upper and Lower Lake Chicot including Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou's mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam) | Largemouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(24) |
| Lake Columbia | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 20 inches. | N1.01(E)(25) |
| Lake Dunn | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 20 inches. | N1.01(E)(26) |
| Lake Frierson | Largemouth Bass 12-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(27) |
| Lake Georgia Pacific | Largemouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(28) |
| Lake Greeson | Daily limit includes an additional 10 Spotted Bass. | N1.01(E)(29) |
| Lake Jack Nolen | Daily limit of 6. | N1.01(E)(30) |
| Lake June | Daily limit of 5 Largemouth Bass 16-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(31) |
| Lake Kingfisher | Largemouth Bass 15-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(32) |
| Lake Lou Emma | Daily limit of 5. | N1.01(E)(33) |
| Lake Millwood | Daily limit of 6 Largemouth Bass. | N1.01(E)(34) |
| Lake Monticello | Daily limit of 5 Largemouth Bass, only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 16 inches. | N1.01(E)(35) |
| Lake Ouachita | Daily limit of 6, including an additional 10 Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass 13-inch minimum. | N1.01(E)(36) |
| Lake Pickthorne | Daily limit of 2 Largemouth, only 1 longer than 21 inches. | N1.01(E)(37) |
| Lake Poinsett | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 16 inches. | N1.01(E)(38) |
| Lake SWEPCO | Only 1 Largemouth Bass longer than 18 inches. | N1.01(E)(39) |
| Lake Sylvia | Daily limit of 5 Largemouth Bass. | N1.01(E)(40) |
AGFC Code of Regulations, N1.01(E)(1), effective July 1, 2026 (policy text), read November 8, 2026.
The heaviest Arkansas spotted bass on record
| AGFC listing | Weight | Division | Water | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bass, Spotted | 7 lbs., 15 oz. | rod and reel | Bull Shoals Lake | March 26, 1983 |
Arkansas state record fish as listed by AGFC (record list), read November 8, 2026.
Finding spotted bass across Arkansas
The label AGFC uses here is "black bass", printed on its fishing area pages as a fish to target, not a promise of a catch.
Lake pages naming spotted bass
- 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
- Norfork Lakeabout 18,811 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
River pages naming spotted bass
- White RiverArkansas County
- Arkansas RiverArkansas County
- Ouachita RiverBradley County
- Buffalo National RiverMarion 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
AGFC public fishing areas map (agfc.com), read November 8, 2026.
Fish sharing the spotted bass limit line
- Largemouth BassBlack Bass (Largemouth, Spotted, And Smallmouth)
- Smallmouth BassBlack Bass (Largemouth, Spotted, And Smallmouth)
Photo of Spotted Bass: schizoform, CC BY 2.0
Arkansas spotted bass questions with direct replies
What does the Code allow for spotted bass each day?
The statewide wording is "daily limit of 10 black bass (all species combined) with no length restrictions. Reservoir Smallmouth Bass, daily limit of 6, 12-inch minimum; Flowing Waters Smallmouth Bass, daily limit of 2, 12-inch minimum".
Which waters set their own spotted bass rule?
It does on 52 waters, Arkansas River and its tributaries included.
Which water holds the Arkansas spotted bass record?
The list shows 7 lbs., 15 oz., Bull Shoals Lake, March 26, 1983.
Which Arkansas waters suit spotted bass?
Try Bull Shoals Lake, Lake Ouachita and Lake Dardanelle; 335 pages carry it.
Is spotted bass a game fish in Arkansas?
Yes; Code 01.00-C names it a game fish.
How much is a license to chase spotted bass in Arkansas?
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.
What does a record spotted bass need in Arkansas?
AGFC keeps the book; it takes fish over 8 ounces and disregards fractions of an ounce.
Does the Code set a possession cap for spotted bass?
The Code definitions cover daily and seasonal limits; a possession multiple is not stated.
Plan an Arkansas spotted bass outing
Each linked water opens with a map and its limits.