8 Arkansas Fishing Spots Worth the Drive for Any Angler

Quick Take

• One lake on this list has produced multiple world-record fish, and its nearby river once held a record that stood for 17 years. See the record fishery →
• A dam built for flood control accidentally created one of Arkansas's best trout fisheries, and the story of how it happened is stranger than you'd expect. Discover how the dam created trout →
• The single most productive bass fishery in the state isn't the biggest lake, and most visiting anglers overlook it entirely. Explore Arkansas's top bass lake →
• One river on this list holds 74 fish species, but fish it without reading one specific document and you could be breaking the law. Check the river's regulations →

Arkansas is home to over 600,000 acres of lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, making it one of the top fishing destinations in the South. Anglers can fish for everything from largemouth bass and catfish to trout, crappie, walleye, and many others. Read on to learn about seven of the state’s best fishing spots and find out what makes each one worth visiting.

1. Bull Shoals Lake

Bull Shoals Lake is a 48,195-acre lake in Arkansas and Missouri managed by the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The lake has over 820 miles of forested shoreline and nine USACE parks with amenities such as boat-launching ramps, campgrounds, playgrounds, picnic shelters, hiking trails, and designated swimming areas. Anglers come from all over the region for largemouth, smallmouth, striped, and spotted bass, as well as crappie, catfish, walleye, and trout fishing in the tailwaters below the dam. There are also over 450 attractors in the lake, which you can view on the fish attractor map.

2. Arkansas River

The Arkansas River stretches around 300 miles through Arkansas, from Oklahoma to Mississippi. It is known for its professional bass tournaments held on the lower Arkansas from Pine Bluff to Dumas. The Fort Smith section is also known for sizeable populations of blue, flathead, and channel catfish, plus black bass. Check out this map for 22 public access areas for trailerable and hand boat launches near Fort Smith. Visitors can also fish for spotted bass, striped bass, bluegill, and redear sunfish, as well as crappie.

3. Lake Ouachita

Lake Ouachita is located in the Ouachita Mountains just 10 miles west of Hot Springs. It is the largest man-made lake in the state, with 48,300 acres of surface area. The lake was built by the USACE to help with flood control, hydropower, and navigation. Bass, crappie, bream, and catfish are among the top fish species to target. The USACE maintains over 20 boat ramps and 1,100 campsites on Lake Ouachita.

4. Greers Ferry Lake

Greers Ferry Lake is a 31,500-acre USACE impoundment with 272 miles of shoreline in North-Central Arkansas. There are 18 parks around the lake with campgrounds, boat launches, designated swimming areas, and marinas. The lake is known as a world-record producing fishery, currently holding records for walleye (22 pounds 11 ounces) and hybrid striped bass (27 pounds 5 ounces). The dam area is ideal for bass and catfish, and the Narrows is a prime spot for crappie. The Little Red River downstream of Greers Ferry Dam is a famous trout fishery, producing the former world record brown trout (1992 – 2009) that weighed 40 pounds and 4 ounces.

5. Beaver Lake

Beaver Lake is a 28,299-acre man-made reservoir with 490 miles of shoreline in the Ozark Mountains. The USACE maintains 11 parks, plus marinas for boating, fishing, swimming, camping, picnicking, and other recreation. The lake is known for its record-breaking striped bass. Below the dam is a prime spot for rainbow and brown trout, while the lake is the best place to target largemouth, smallmouth, striped, and hybrid striped bass, as well as catfish, crappie, walleye, and bream.

6. Buffalo National River

Located in the heart of the Ozarks, the Buffalo National River is home to 74 fish species, 12 of which are game fish. Smallmouth bass, sunfish, and catfish are popular targets. The upper river is the best place to fish for smallmouth bass, while spotted and largemouth bass are more often found downstream of Pruitt. Channel and flathead catfish are typically found in deeper holes along the entire river. Note that there are specific rules for fishing the Buffalo National River that can be found in the Arkansas Fishing Guidebook.

7. White River

In 1952, Bull Shoals Dam was built on the White River for flood control and hydroelectric power. However, this created a coldwater habitat that could not support native fish. So in 1955, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) began stocking rainbow trout and brown trout, which could tolerate colder temperatures. The temperatures in the White River below Bull Shoals Dam remain consistent year-round, so anglers can experience world-class trout fishing during any season.

8. Lake Dardanelle

Lake Dardanelle is a 34,300-acre reservoir with 315 miles of shoreline, located in northwest Arkansas. The reservoir is on the Arkansas River, helping to make Lake Dardanelle the most productive bass fishery in the state. Anglers can also fish for catfish, bream, and crappie. Lake Dardanelle State Park offers camping, boat launching, picnicking, and other family activities in two locations: one on the Russellville side and the other on the Dardanelle side. There are also several USACE parks with a variety of amenities, including camping, RV hookups, and boat ramps.