Arkansas Public Waters
3 notable public water bodies. Use “Fishing near me” to sort by distance.
| Water | Type | Distance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ouachita AR | lake | — | Clear-water striped bass. |
| White River AR | river | — | Trophy rainbow trout below dams. |
| Bull Shoals Lake AR | lake | — |
Coordinates are approximate. Always confirm public access, boat-launch status, and local rules with the managing agency before you travel.
Spot profiles
Each profile covers the water’s type, the species recorded there, access notes, and the regulations or special rules that apply to that specific waterbody.
Lake Ouachita
White River
Bull Shoals Lake
Planning a trip in Arkansas
Everything below is drawn from FishFig's verified Arkansas data layer — license fees, stocking records, resolved statewide limits, and reported license-free dates. Each figure names its source.
Public waters in Arkansas covered here
This state hub indexes 3 notable public water bodies: 2 lakes, 1 river. The dataset is a curated list of destination waters rather than every public access point, so a productive local pond or municipal lake near you may still be missing.
Species profiles exist for 3 of the 3 tracked waters. Commonly indexed destinations include Lake Ouachita, White River and Bull Shoals Lake.
Use the "Fishing near me" sorter on this page to reorder the list by straight-line distance from your location. Straight-line distance is a planning estimate, not a drive time — a water 20 miles away across a ridge or a bay can take far longer to reach than one 40 miles down a highway, and seasonal closures, launch fees, and permit requirements are set by the managing agency rather than by this list.
What a Arkansas fishing license costs
A resident annual license for Arkansas is $10.50, and the non-resident annual license is $60.00 — a difference of $49.50. The non-resident rate is roughly 5.7 times the resident rate — meaning the license is usually the smallest expense in the trip budget.
Short-term options as published: 3-day trip $6.50 (resident) / $30.00 (nonresident).
At the published short-term prices, a resident annual license breaks even at about 2 three-day passes. Below that trip count the short-term pass is cheaper; above it the annual license is. (Break-even arithmetic from the published fees — confirm current products with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC).)
Senior and reduced-rate options: Resident 65-Plus annual fishing license $3.50; 65-Plus lifetime $10.50 (one-time); residents 65+ also need a $3.50 trout permit for trout.
Source: Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) — 2026 License & Permit Fee Schedule (agfc.com).
Stocking in Arkansas
A statewide annual stocking total for Arkansas is pending verification in this dataset, so this tool shows no number rather than an estimate. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) publishes stocking by water, county, and species.
Stocking totals for Arkansas are pending verification. State fish agencies publish annual stocking lists by water, county, and species; consult Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) for current figures before relying on any number.
Source: verify locally — see Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) stocking reports.
Why stocking matters to planning: put-and-take fisheries are the most catch-rate-sensitive to plant timing, so a water that fishes poorly in April can fish well in May once the trucks arrive. Check the current-year plant list before writing off a water, and check it again before assuming a hot bite will last.
Size and bag limits tracked for Arkansas
Arkansas has 12 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass and Rainbow Trout, among 12 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 50 (bream combined: bluegill, redear, longear, warmouth and other sunfishes); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
Brook Trout: bag 5 (max 2 brook trout); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
Brown Trout: bag 5 (max 2 brown trout); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
Channel Catfish: bag 10 (channel, blue, flathead combined); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
Crappie: bag 30 (black and white combined); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
Flathead Catfish: bag 10 (channel, blue, flathead combined); season Year-round. Citation: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission — Statewide Lengths and Daily Limits (2026 Fishing Guidebook). https://www.agfc.com/?p=4633
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) before keeping a fish.
Free fishing days in Arkansas
Reported license-free dates for 2026: June 12–14, 2026 (reported). Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.