Great Fishing In Arkansas

Guide to fishing in the Natural State

Last updated on January 16, 2026.

Major Lakes & Species
Lake Sizes & Locations
Arkansas Fish Species & State Records

Great Fishing Options

The state offers great fishing opportunities across its diverse waterways, including warm-water fisheries, cold-water fisheries, ponds, lakes, and rivers. The state boasts an impressive array of fish species, ensuring there's something for every angler's preference. The purpose of this page is to share basic information about the best fishing lakes in the state, plus the species found in each lake.

Warm-water fisheries in Arkansas provide excellent fishing experiences for species such as largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, catfish, and sunfish. Lakes like Lake Hamilton, Lake Ouachita, and Lake Chicot are renowned for their warm-water fisheries, attracting anglers with the chance to catch trophy-sized bass, plentiful crappie, and feisty catfish. These lakes offer ideal habitats and abundant forage for warm water species, creating thriving fisheries that appeal to anglers of all skill levels.

Cold water fisheries in Arkansas are dominated by trout, particularly rainbow trout and brown trout. The state's cold water lakes and tailwater areas below dams, such as Bull Shoals Lake, Norfork Lake, and the White River, provide exceptional trout fishing opportunities. These areas are regularly stocked with trout, ensuring a constant supply of fish for anglers to target. Cold water fisheries offer a unique angling experience, with trout known for their fighting ability and delicious taste.

Arkansas's ponds, both natural and man-made, provide additional fishing opportunities for a variety of species. These smaller bodies of water are often home to bass, bluegill, catfish, and other panfish. Anglers can enjoy the tranquility of fishing in a pond and have a higher chance of landing multiple fish during a day's outing. Ponds offer a more intimate fishing experience, making them ideal for beginners or those seeking a peaceful fishing getaway.

The rivers of Arkansas, including the Arkansas River, Buffalo National River, and Little Red River, offer anglers the chance to fish for a wide range of species in diverse settings. These rivers are home to bass, trout, catfish, and other fish species, providing thrilling angling opportunities for both fly fishing and conventional methods. River fishing requires anglers to understand the water currents and fish behavior, making it an exciting and challenging experience.

Arkansas's fishing opportunities are as diverse as its landscapes, with warm-water fisheries, cold-water fisheries, ponds, lakes, and rivers offering a rich variety of fish species to target. From the thrill of reeling in trophy bass to the peacefulness of fishing in a secluded pond or the exhilaration of fly fishing in a rushing river, Arkansas has it all for anglers seeking memorable fishing adventures.

The state of Arkansas offers a variety of fishing for a variety of bass. Crappie fishing is available in most waters as is catfish and panfish. Some excellent trout fishing is available on some of the rivers and streams. Here, you can fish for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, channel catfish, flathead catfish, blue catfish, black crappie, white crappie, walleye, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, bluegill, flier sunfish, green sunfish, longear sunfish, redear sunfish, rock bass, tilapia, warmouth, white bass, yellow bass, yellow perch, stripers, alligator gar, bowfin, chain pickerel, longnose gar, northern pike, paddlefish, sauger, saugeye, spotted gar and tiger muskie in local lakes, rivers, ponds and/or streams.