Top 10 Fishing Destinations in Arkansas - The Best and Only Resource You'll Ever Need for Exciting Fishing Vacations and Adventures

Fish Species Found in Arkansas

The waters of Arkansas offer a wide variety of fish (both fresh and salt water) found in the abundant lakes, rivers, and streams. The fish are usually divided into two major categories:

Sport Fish

Black bass

North American catfish

Pikes

Trout

Sunfish

Temperate bass

Non-Sport Fish

Bowfin

Gars

Paddlefish

Sturgeons

Eels

Herrings

Smelts

Lampreys

Mooneyes

Arkansas boasts many world fishing records, such as largest brown trout, found on the Little Red River, which weighed 40lbs, a 22lb walleye reeled in at Greers Ferry Lake, and a 1lb 13 oz. bass which was found in Ozark.

Top 10 Fishing Spots Across Arkansas

Enthusiasts around the world head towards the well-known waterways of Arkansas to reel in some big fish and enjoy the sport. Families and friends take part in this recreational activity and take in the exotic beauty around the state. Since Arkansas offers numerous fishing spots, we have compiled an Arkansas fishing guide to help you decide which spots you want to hit right away.

White River

Located in the Northwest of Arkansas, the White River is a perfect home for trout with its shallow waters, and trout swimming under the cool swift water. There’s plenty of fish found in White River, including: Bluegill, Redear sunfish and Rock bass. Anglers use kayaks, electric boats, and charters to aid their fishing. Fishermen must obtain an Arkansas fishing license to fish in this area.

Little Red River

Located in North Central Arkansas, the river is famous for its tailwater trout fishing and this trout fishing water stretches for 29 river miles from Greers Ferry Dam to Pangburn. Thousands of rainbow trout are stocked in the river every year, and it’s a beautiful destination for tourists and anglers alike. If you are in the mood to catch trophy fish, you’ll need to use proper gear and boats, as they’re hiding under the rippling water.

Lake Ouachita

This Lake is located in the hot springs in West Central Arkansas and is one of the five lakes that the locals call the “Diamond Lakes”, due to their crystal clear water. This is one of the most beautiful and largest fishing destinations located within the state’s borders. It’s home to a variety of sport fish species which include: largemouth bass, bream, catfish, cool water walleye and rainbow trout. The lake has clear waters making it an ideal tourist spot for those who are looking to go scuba diving as well as some action-packed fishing.

DeGray Lake

Located in south-central Arkansas, this is another lake from the five-diamond lakes. This man-made water body is in a wilderness area, spread over an expanse of 13,800 acres. DeGray Lake is home to different kinds of bass, bluefish, and flathead catfish, making it an ideal choice for anglers to go fishing all year long. It has numerous coves, islands, and woody pockets.

Bull Shoals Lake

Located in the North of Arkansas, Bill Shoals Lake is one of the best spots for bass fishing in the state. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, Kentucky and white bass are just a few of the varieties found here, along with other species including trout, crappie, walleye, and panfish. It has clear, still, and deep waters which are ideal for fishing.

Greers Ferry Lake

This clear water, deep lake is located in North central Arkansas. Anglers can find bass, walleye, and crappie. The waters are a challenge, so only expert anglers with experience should charter boats. Others should stay close to the waters in order to find the best catches. The state fishing regulators make it vital for anglers to carry the Arkansas fishing license at all times - for commercial, as well as sport fishing in the area.

Arkansas River

Atkansas River

The Arkansas River cuts through the center of the state running from west to east creating a 50-mile lake named Dardanelle in its path. This lake provides an excellent experience for anglers catching bass, catfish and a variety of crappie.

Buffalo River

Located in Northwest Arkansas, the Buffalo Lake with crystal clear water (which is also oxygen-rich), is the perfect spot for smallmouth bass. The rich habitat is home to channeled catfish, green and longear sunfish and spotted bass. Anglers who love fly-fishing head over to this destination with kayaks, canoes, and boats, while the visitors also take their RVs and campers to the site. You will find many hiking trails around the river.

Caddo River

Just south of the Ouachita River, in Central Arkansas, you will find this great river, which is known for sport fishing of spotted and smallmouth bass. Anglers trying to catch fish in quantity, find this spot to be the most productive, especially near the Caddo gap, which ends near the Amity. Licenses and permits are required for sport fishing all over the state.

Norfolk Lake

Located in the North of Arkansas, this excellent spot is filled with crappie, walleye, bluegill, stripers, catfish, and various types of bass. Visitors and families go by boats, kayaks, and canoes to enjoy the serenity of the water.

Arkansas State Fishing Records

Rod and Reel Records

These fish were caught by rod and reel.

Species	Weight	Location	Date	State Record Holder
Bass, Hybrid Striped*	27 lbs., 5 oz.	Greers Ferry Lake	4/24/1997	Jerald C. Shaum, Shirley, Ark.
Bass, Largemouth	16 lbs., 8 oz.	Mallard Lake	3/2/1976	Aaron Mardis, Memphis, Tenn.
Bass, Ozark*	1 lb., 1 oz.	Norfork Lake	5/12/2014	Dan Biery, Clinton, Ark.
Bass, Rock	1 lb., 8 oz.	Norfork Lake	8/2/1982	Jerry Heard, Everton, Ark.
Bass, Shadow*	1 lb., 12 oz.	Spring River	7/5/1999	James E. Baker, W. Monroe, La.
Bass, Smallmouth	7 lbs., 5 oz.	Bull Shoals Lake	4/1/1969	Acie Dickerson, Lakeview, Ark.
Bass, Spotted	7 lbs., 15 oz.	Bull Shoals Lake	3/26/1983	Mike Heilich, St. Louis, Mo.
Bass, Striped	64 lbs., 8 oz.	Beaver Lake Tailwater	4/28/2000	Jeff Fletcher, Golden, Mo.
Bass, White	5 lbs., 6 oz.	Mississippi River	10/27/2005	Bill Nelson, Memphis, Tenn.
Bass, Yellow	2 lbs., 2 oz.	Gillham Lake	4/26/2009	Tony Dinger, De Queen, Ark.
Bluegill	3 lbs., 4 oz.	Fulton County	8/7/1998	Albert Sharp, Elizabeth, Ark.
Bowfin	17 lbs., 5 oz.	Desha County	2/21/1977	Doug Smith, McGehee, Ark.
Buffalo, Bigmouth	50 lbs., 0 oz.	Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir	9/10/2007	Tony Worm, Conway, Ark.
Buffalo, Black	92 lbs., 8 oz.	Lake Maumelle	2/26/2001	Kenny DeLuca, Paron, Ark.
Buffalo, Smallmouth	68 lbs., 8 oz.	Lake Hamilton	5/15/1984	Jerry Dolezal, Berwyn, Ill.
Bullhead, Black	4 lbs., 12 oz.	Point Remove Creek	4/11/1986	Janet Story, Morrilton, Ark.
Bullhead, Brown	3 lbs., 3 oz.	Upper White Oak Lake	4/2/2013	Christopher "JJ" Holeman, Camden, Ark.
Bullhead, Yellow	2 lbs., 7 oz.	Private lake	9/21/2014	Jackie R. Mullins, Texarkana, Ark.
Catfish, Blue	116 lbs., 12 oz.	Mississippi River	8/3/2001	Charles Ashley Jr., Marion, Ark.
Catfish, Channel	38 lbs., 0 oz.	Lake Ouachita	6/3/1989	Joe Holleman, Waldron, Ark.
Catfish, Flathead	80 lbs., 0 oz.	Arkansas River	10/28/1989	Wesley White, Hartford, Ark.
Crappie, Black	5 lbs., 0 oz.	Lake Wilhelmina	6/6/2011	Donivan Echols, Mena, Ark.
Crappie, White	4 lbs., 7 oz.	Mingo Creek	4/12/1993	Shelby D. Cooper, Bald Knob, Ark.
Drum, Freshwater	45 lbs., 7 oz.	Lake Wilson	7/11/2004	Chuck Piker, Hamburg, Ark.
Eel, American	5 lbs., 4.4 oz.	Spring River	7/15/2015	Cory Beeson, Jonesboro, Ark.
Flier	0 lbs., 14 oz.	Saline River	7/10/1985	Harvey Jones, Warren, Ark.
Gar, Alligator	215 lbs., 0 oz.	Arkansas River	7/31/1964	Alvin Bonds, Clarksville, Ark.
Gar, Longnose	35 lbs., 12 oz.	Taylor Old River Lake	6/28/2005	Tommy Cantrell, Dumas, Ark.
Gar, Shortnose	5 lbs., 13 oz.	Lake Dardanelle	9/23/2012	Thomas Kremers, Clarksville, Ark.
Gar, Spotted	7 lbs., 15 oz.	Little Red River	3/29/2018	Tim Welch, Bono, Ark.
Goldeye	1 lbs., 10 oz.	Current River	7/30/2017	Jacob Berger, Paragould, Ark.
Herring, Skipjack	2 lbs., 10 oz.	Lake Dardanelle	1/3/2004	Jeremy Whitcomb, Little Rock, Ark.
Muskie, Tiger	23 lbs., 12 oz.	Spring River	6/27/1995	Randy Wyatt, Thayer, Mo.
Paddlefish	105 lbs., 0 oz.	Beaver Lake	3/2/2015	Jessie Wilkes, Springdale, Ark.
Pickerel, Chain	7 lbs., 10 oz.	Little Red River	1/6/1979	Abe Vogel, Heber Springs, Ark.
Pike, Northern	16 lbs., 1 oz.	DeGray Lake	12/27/1973	Dick Cooley, Arkadelphia, Ark.
Redhorse, Golden	1 lb., 2 oz.	Spring River	5/27/2011	D. Victor Waits, Holts Summit, Mo
Redhorse, River	8 lbs., 2 oz.	Spring River	4/18/2006	D. Victor Waits, Holts Summit, Mo.
Sauger	6 lbs., 12 oz.	Arkansas River	12/15/1976	Claude Eubanks, Fort Smith, Ark.
Saugeye	9 lbs., 0 oz.	Lake Frierson	1/30/2012	Chris Owen, Alicia, Ark.
Shad, Alabama	2 lbs., 13 oz.	Ouachita River	4/4/1997	Monte Pascoe, Hot Springs, Ark.
Shad, Gizzard	2 lbs., 14 oz.	White River	5/9/1992	Charles Jordan, Mountain View, Ark.
Sturgeon, Shovelnose	5 lbs., 0 oz.	Spring River	10/10/2008	D. Victor Waits, Holts Summit, Mo.
Sucker, Northern Hog	1 lb., 2 oz.	Spring River	5/27/2011	D. Victor Waits, Holts Summit, Mo.
Sucker, Spotted	1 lb., 15 oz.	Caney Creek	1/28/2015	Steve Lankford, Conway, Ark.
Sunfish, Green	1 lb., 11 oz.	pond, Dierks	4/12/1976	Keith McCullough, Dierks, Ark.
Sunfish, Longear	1 lb., 2 oz.	Table Rock Lake	4/22/1991	Carl Bohannan, Eureka Springs, Ark.
Sunfish, Redear	2 lbs., 14 oz.	Bois d'Arc Lake	5/4/1985	Glenda Tatom, Stamps, Ark.
Trout, Brook	5 lbs., 0 oz.	North Fork River	6/3/2002	Billy J. Meeks, Wylie, Texas
Trout, Brown*	40 lbs., 4 oz.	Little Red River	5/9/1992	Howard "Rip" Collins, Heber Springs, Ark.
Trout, Cutthroat	10 lbs., 2 oz.	White River	9/29/2018	Mike Bowers, Abilene, Kans.
Trout, Lake	11 lbs., 5 oz.	Greers Ferry Lake	12/15/1997	Clark Stevenson, Greenbrier, Ark.
Trout, Rainbow	19 lbs., 1 oz.	White River	3/14/1981	Jim Miller, Memphis, Tenn.
Walleye*	22 lbs., 11 oz.	Greers Ferry Lake	3/12/1982	Al Nelson, Higden, Ark.
Warmouth	1 lb., 8 oz.	Black Dog Bayou	5/28/1998	Michael Curtis, Pine Bluff, Ark.

Unrestricted Tackle Record

These fish were caught by legal means other than rod and reel.

Species	Weight	Location	Date	State Record Holder
Buffalo, Bigmouth	56 lbs., 4 oz.	Calion Lake	4/3/2000	Benny Alexander, El Dorado, Ark.
Buffalo, Black	105 lbs., 0 oz.	Harris Brake Lake	3/14/1994	Kenneth Harvey, Perryville, Ark.
Buffalo, Smallmouth	74 lbs., 0 oz.	Millwood Lake	4/15/2007	Zane Barrett, Murfreesboro, Ark.
Bullhead, Yellow	4 lbs., 9 oz.	Blue Bayou	5/22/2005	Joshua Rosenbaum, Nashville, Ark.
Carpsucker, Highfin	1 lbs., 12 oz.	Arkansas River	6/19/2017	Jimmy Ruple, Greenbrier, Ark.
Carpsucker, Quillback	3 lbs., 3 oz.	Arkansas River	8/8/2016	Ross Martin, Cabot, Ark.
Carpsucker, River	3 lbs., 2 oz.	Arkansas River	6/19/2017	Jimmy Ruple, Greenbrier, Ark.
Gar, Longnose	54 lbs., 0 oz.	Arkansas River	8/4/2011	Torry Cook, Warren, Ark.
Gar, Shortnose	11 lbs., 12 oz.	Cypress Bayou	11/2/2016	Bryson Harpole, Ward, Ark.
Gar, Spotted	12 lbs., 5 oz.	Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir	3/18/2017	Jerrime Tucker, Conway, Ark.
Redhorse, River	9 lbs. 0 oz.	Lake Ouachita	3/17/2013	Asher Kight, Hot Springs, Ark.
Shad, Gizzard	3 lbs. 7 oz.	DeGray Lake	6/15/2013	Ross Wooldridge, Malvern, Ark.
Sucker, Spotted	4 lbs., 6 oz.	Big Hill Creek	3/19/2018	Ransum Mullens, Camden, Ark.

Brown Trout

Appearance

Brown trout vary greatly in appearance, but are generally olive green to brown on top, shading to a creamy, golden yellow on the sides and an off- white along the belly. Most brown trout are covered with black spots along their sides, back, and dorsal fin with each spot surrounded by a light halo. Frequently, the spots near the lateral line are red. Unlike other trout species, brown trout tails have few if any spots.

Habitat

Brown trout occupy a range of aquatic systems and habitats from Coldwater mountain streams to larger rivers, ponds and lakes.

Diet

Brown trout feed on several animal prey species, aquatic invertebrates being the most abundant prey items. However, brown trout also feed on other prey such as land-based invertebrates (e.g. Hymenoptera) or other fish. Moreover, in brown trout, as in many other fish species, a change in the diet composition normally occurs during the life of the fish, and piscivorous behavior is most frequent in large brown trout.

Fishing for Brown Trout

Fishing for brook trout with a Bubble Fly or Bubble Bait rig is a great way to catch brook trout. The Bubble allows for easy casting or float and release to get to the hard bends and deep pools. Using a spinning reel or fly rod the bubble can help get to the fish. For lake fishing the Bubble works great with a nightcrawler and letting the bubble troll the bait for you using water current or wind.

Top 5 Bubble Fly Combos for Brown Trout

Ant, Cricket, Hopper, Adams Parachute, Wullf Royal

Top 5 Bubble Bait Combos for Brown Trout

Nightcrawler, Wax Worms , Corn, Power Bait, Salmon Eggs

Bubble Fly Challenge Games for Brown Trout

Panfish & Trout

Angler’s Paradise

Fish Species Found in Arkansas

Types of Catch Available