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Best Fishing Lakes In Arkansas

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Guide to top places to fish for bass, catfish, crappie and more in AR.

By AA-Fishing Staff Writers

Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita, Millwood Lake and Norfork Lake are the most popular places for fishing in Arkansas, offering anglers the chance to pursue a variety of fish species.

  • Beaver Lake
  • Blue Mountain Lake
  • Bull Shoals Lake
  • DeGray Lake
  • Greers Ferry Lake
  • Lake Chicot
  • Lake Dardanelle
  • Lake Greeson
  • Lake Hamilton
  • Lake Maumelle
  • Lake Millwood
  • Lake Ouachita
  • Norfork Lake

Arkansas is home to a variety of fishing lakes, offering anglers diverse opportunities to target different fish species in both warm water and cold water lakes. The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, and the species found in each lake.

Warm water lakes in Arkansas provide excellent fishing for a range of species. One notable warm water lake is Lake Hamilton, known for its largemouth bass, crappie, and catfish populations. Anglers can also target species such as bluegill, redear sunfish, and striped bass in warm water lakes. Lake Ouachita is another popular warm water lake, offering exceptional bass fishing and opportunities to catch bream, catfish, and other warm water species.

Cold water lakes in Arkansas are known for their excellent trout fishing. One prominent cold water lake is the Bull Shoals Lake, where anglers can target rainbow trout, brown trout, and cutthroat trout. The lake is regularly stocked with trout, providing ample opportunities for anglers to reel in these prized fish. Other cold water lakes in Arkansas, such as Norfork Lake and Greers Ferry Lake, also offer quality trout fishing.

In addition to trout, cold water lakes in Arkansas are home to species such as walleye, white bass, and crappie. Anglers can enjoy challenging fishing experiences while targeting these cold water species in lakes like Beaver Lake and Lake Dardanelle.

Whether fishing in warm water lakes for bass, catfish, and panfish, or exploring cold water lakes for trout and other species, Arkansas's fishing lakes provide a diverse range of angling opportunities. The state's varied lakes and their abundant fish populations make Arkansas a sought-after destination for anglers of all preferences and skill levels.

Fishing Boats For Rent In Arkansas


Bass Fishing Lakes

Largemouth Bass
Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass
Smallmouth Bass

Spotted Bass
Spotted Bass

Beaver Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Chicot, Lake Dardanell, Lake Greeson, Lake Hamilton, Lake Maumelle, Lake Ouachita, Millwood Lake and Norfork Lake are considered some of the best options for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. More...


Catfish Fishing Lakes

Channel Catfish
Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish
Flathead Catfish

Blue Catfish
Blue Catfish

Beaver Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, DeGray Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Chicot, , Lake Conway, Lake Dardanelle and Lake Ouachita are favorite options for channel, blue, white and flathead catfish. More...


Crappie Fishing Lakes

Black Crappie
Black Crappie

White Crappie
White Crappie

Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greenwood Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Chicot, Lake Conway, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Greeson, Lake Maumelle, Lake Millwood and Lake Ouachita are the most popular for black and white crappie. More...


Sunfish, Panfish & Perch Fishing Lakes

Bluegill
Bluegill

Flier Sunfish
Flier Sunfish

Green Sunfish
Green Sunfish

Longear Sunfish
Longear Sunfish

Redear Sunfish
Redear Sunfish

Rock Bass
Rock Bass

Tilapia
Tilapia

Warmouth
Warmouth

White Bass
White Bass

Yellow Bass
Yellow Bass

Yellow Perch
Yellow Perch

Bear Creek Lake, Beaver Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Ouachita and Norfork Lake are popular spots to fish for bluegill, bream, perch and other sunfish. More...


Walleye Fishing Lakes

Walleye
Walleye

Sauger
Sauger

Saugeye
Saugeye

Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Hamilton, Lake Ouachita and Norfork Lake are considered the top locations for walleye fishing. More...


Trout Fishing Lakes

Rainbow trout
Rainbow trout

Brook trout
Brook trout

Brown trout
Brown trout

Cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout

Lake trout
Lake trout

Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, Greers Ferry Lake and Lake Ouachita are the favorite lakes for rainbow, cutthroat, brook, brown and lake trout. More...


Striped Bass Fishing Lakes

Striped Bass
Striped bass

Hybrid Striped Bass
Striped bass

The Arkansas River, Beaver Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, DeGray Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Dardanelle, Lake Hamilton and Lake Ouachita are the best options for striped bass and hybrid striped bass. More...


Visit the Arkansas fishing page for links to information covering a wide variety of fish species and destinations in the state. Visit the Arkansas map to identify your best route to these top fishing locations.

 

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