Best Fishing in Arkansas

1. Lake Ouachita, Arkansas – Map

Lake Ouachita is a full-service lake that offers various recreational activities for fishers and non-anglers. Scuba divers flock to the lake because of its crystal-clear waters. Locals and visitors use the 93 available campsites to go swimming, kayaking, or camping.

Both Mount Ida and Hot Springs National Park are located near Lake Ouachita and provide a variety of outdoor activities. The sport of bass fishing has become quite popular over the years, and bass, bream, crappie, and catfish may all be caught at the lake.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Lake Ouachita between 1946 and 1954 as part of a flood control and hydroelectric project. Thousands of people visit the lake yearly to catch striped bass and admire its natural beauty.

3. Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas – Map

The Ozark Mountains, home to Bull Shoals Lake, are a breathtaking sight. The Tri-Lakes region, which includes Lake Taneycomo and Table Rock Lake, is one of the most sought-after fishing places in the United States, according to National Geographic.

There are legends of bull shoals producing twelve-pound largemouth bass.

Additionally, the lakes provide a wide variety of fish species, including striped bass, catfish, bluegill, bluegill trout, rainbow trout, and brown trout. Because of its reputation as one of the top sites in North America to go fishing, it’s not hard to understand why.

There are plenty of places to launch a boat and explore the lakes’ 1,000 miles of stunning coastline, thanks to the area’s twenty-one boat ramps. Choose from one of the numerous nearby campsites and have a great time throughout the weekend.

Bull Shoals Lake is a massive body of water that extends into Missouri.

5. Arkansas River, Arkansas – Map

Anglers can find more than 300 miles of fish habitat in the Arkansas River, which flows from Oklahoma to Mississippi.

No artificial lakes in Arkansas can compare to the size of the river’s bass-fishing zone, even if you exclude the sections officially known as Ozark Lake and Lake Dardanelle.

On the river, bass fishing tournaments are prevalent. To learn how to catch bass in summer, read this article.

7. Norfork, Arkansas – Map

In terms of striped bass fishing, Norfork Lake is Arkansas’s oldest and largest artificial reservoir. Anglers routinely catch striped bass weighing between thirty and forty pounds. Crappie and white bass are other popular targets for night fishing.

The Norfork National Fish Hatchery regularly supplies trout to the lake and its branches. From the Norfolk River in 1988, a world-record brown trout was landed.

In 2000, one fisherman managed to reel in a brook trout that weighed an astonishing four pounds and twelve ounces. The mix of streams, rivers, and lakes is an ideal choice for anglers who want to make a catch.

As one of the country’s cleanest lakes, it offers exceptional visibility. Scuba diving, cave exploration, watersports, hiking, spearfishing, bicycling, or a picturesque drive along the 550 miles of coastline are just some of the non-fishing-related outdoor activities visitors may enjoy.

9. Ouachita River, Arkansas – Map

Short parts of the Ouachita and Little Missouri rivers, despite their small size and lack of big-fish potential, provide superb rainbow trout fishing in the spring and fall. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission delivers trout at two locations on the Little Missouri River.

Lake Greeson’s winter and spring releases below Narrows Dam are ideal for trout.

Fishing for standard-size trout from the banks on both sides of the river is excellent from early December through late April or early May.

You can catch put-and-take rainbows below Blakely Mountain Dam (Lake Ouachita) and Carpenter Dam (Lake Hamilton) on the Ouachita River’s lower reaches from the shore or in a boat during the chilly season.