Fishing in Arkansas public spots, conditions & reports
2 of 5worth the trip today
Mostly rainbow trout today. Each spot is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
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Every Arkansas spot
5 public spots, best first. Each is scored for whatever is in season and biting best there.
The state report
Arkansas Game & Fish hasn’t published one we can date.
Licenses and rules
Rules for what people fish for here
- Striped bass6 a dayArkansas statewide: 6 striped and hybrid bass a day combined, no minimum. Beaver allows 3 with a 20" minimum on striped bass; Ouachita allows 3 striped bass.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Largemouth bass10 a dayArkansas statewide: 10 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum on largemouth. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15" and 6 a day; Ouachita is 13" and 6 a day, plus 10 spotted bass.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Crappie30 a dayArkansas statewide: 30 crappie a day, no minimum. Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork are 10" and 15 a day.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Common carpno daily limitArkansas treats common carp as a rough fish. Its statewide length and daily limits do not include carp.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 18, 2026 · source
- Rainbow trout14" maximum · 2 a dayArkansas (since Feb 1, 2026): on the Norfork tailwater and the White River from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access, 2 rainbow trout a day, both under 14"; every other trout must be released. From the Norfork Access to the Hwy 58 bridge at Guion, 2 trout with only 1 over 14". Elsewhere the statewide limit is 5 trout a day.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Brown troutno harvestArkansas: on the Norfork tailwater and the White River from Bull Shoals Dam to the Norfork Access only rainbows under 14" may be kept, so every brown trout must be released. Below the Norfork Access a brown must be at least 24" and counts as the one fish over 14" in the 2-trout limit.Catch and release · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Smallmouth bass12" minimum · 6 a dayArkansas: 12" minimum on smallmouth; 6 a day in reservoirs, 2 a day in flowing water, and 1 of at least 15" on blue-ribbon streams. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15", 6 black bass a day combined.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Walleye6 a dayArkansas statewide: 6 walleye a day. Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork are 18" and 4 a day.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
- Channel catfish10 a dayArkansas: 10 catfish a day (channel, blue and flathead combined), no limit on bullheads. Some small lakes and community ponds are 3 or 5 a day.Open · Arkansas · verified Oct 23, 2026 · source
Limits differ by water. Each spot page shows the limits for its own water.
What’s biting in Arkansas
Species people fish for at Arkansas spots, and how many of those spots are worth the trip for them today.
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykiss2 of 2 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Norfork River, AR86
Bites in 45–68° water
Brown troutSalmo trutta1 of 2 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Norfork River, AR78
Bites in 45–68° water
Striped bassMorone saxatilis0 of 3 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 50–72° water
Largemouth bassMicropterus salmoides0 of 3 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 55–85° water
CrappiePomoxis spp.0 of 3 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 50–80° water
Common carpCyprinus carpio0 of 3 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 52–86° water
Smallmouth bassMicropterus dolomieu0 of 2 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 55–78° water
WalleyeSander vitreus0 of 2 spots worth the trip in Arkansas
Best now at Bull Shoals Lake, AR68
Bites in 50–72° water
About fishing in Arkansas
Arkansas's 5 public access points span reservoirs and rivers and streams, across 4 counties. Across them, the species anglers most often target are Largemouth Bass, Striped Bass, Crappie, and Common Carp. Each is scored live on water temperature, river flow, moon phase, barometric pressure, and weather. Always confirm current size, creel, and season limits with the Arkansas state fishery agency before keeping fish — we flag any species whose regulations we haven't yet verified.
5 public access points across 0 water bodies. Data from NOAA, NWS, USGS, and Arkansas Game & Fish.