Fishing Regulations

Angling on the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Line

ARKANSAS AND OKLAHOMA

Arkansas and Oklahoma do not have a reciprocal license agreement for waters along their shared border. Anglers fishing on the Arkansas side of the official state line must have an Arkansas fishing license, and anglers fishing on the Oklahoma side of the official state line must have an Oklahoma fishing license.

The state line runs from the second rock jetty downstream of the Garrison Avenue Bridge (U.S. Highway 64) on the west side of the river to approximately the third bridge support column of the same bridge from the east side (the Arkansas side) of the river. It continues from the bridge support to the mouth of the Poteau River and up the center of the Poteau River to the old Port of Fort Smith.

Violation Points

A person convicted of violating an AGFC hunting, fishing or boating violation or a federal wildlife regulation in Arkansas may be assessed violation points in addition to other fines and penalties.

Point values will be assessed as follows:

Class of Offense	Points
Class of Offense	Points
Class 1	6
Class 2	12
Class 3	18
Class 4	30
Class 5	99
Unclassified Offense	0

The possession of fishing or hunting devices in fields, forests, along streams or in locations known to be game cover may be considered along with other evidence that the possessor is hunting or fishing.

The AGFC shall suspend the hunting and fishing rights, privileges, and any related licenses of any person who has accrued 18 or more violation points within a 5-year period will have their hunting and fishing rights suspended as follows:

Points Accumulated in Five Years	Hunting and Fishing License Suspension
18-24	1-year suspension
25-48	2-year suspension
49-72	3-year suspension
73-98	5-year suspension
99 (resulting from Class 5 offense)	7-year suspension

General Regulations

How to Measure a Fish

Measure fish from the front end of the lower jaw to the tip of the tail. Lay the fish flat on its side on top of the ruler, mouth closed and tail lobes pressed together.

Length Limit

Minimum Length Limit

The shortest length of a fish of a designated species that can be kept.

Maximum Length Limit

The maximum length of a fish of a designated species that can be kept.

Slot Limit

A size limit that prohibits anglers from keeping fish within a designated size group. Unless otherwise specified, all fish are measured from the front of the lower jaw with the mouth closed to the tip of the tail with tail lobes pressed together when laid flat on a rule. All fish not meeting the length limit requirements for a particular water or species must be immediately released into the water where caught.

On AGFC-owned lakes, accesses and wildlife management areas, unless otherwise noted, you may not legally:

• Place or use rebar or any non-woody materials into the substrate of AGFC-owned lakes without prior approval. Call 501-382-9071 for more information.
• Hunt, trap or possess hunting equipment when seasons are not open.
• Remove anything – other than personal possessions – from Commission-owned land without permission.
• Camp outside a designated area, camp more than 14 consecutive days (including time when the camp is set up but not occupied), or allow the camp to remain unoccupied for more than 48 hours.
• Disobey official signs.
• Damage AGFC property.
• Cut trees.
• Burn timber, brush or grass.
• Burn materials containing nails, screws or other metal objects.
• Leave a fire unattended.
• Post signs.
• Engage in commercial activities without prior AGFC approval.
• Use or possess chainsaws, handsaws, hatchets, axes, weed trimmers, string trimmers or other cutting devices. Chemical defoliants are prohibited.
• Operate any motorized vehicle on any road, trail, levee or dam owned by the AGFC, where no maintained road exists, or in a direction of travel contrary to directional signs on a wildlife management area or AGFC-owned lake. No all-terrain vehicles are allowed unless the driver has a mobility impaired program card.
• Create a disturbance after 10 p.m.
• Water ski or use personal watercraft.
• Construct, place or occupy a permanent hunting stand, building, shelter or moored houseboat.
• Create a hazardous wake.
• Obstruct an access area, parking area, launching ramp or access road.
• Build a structure on AGFC-owned (or controlled) lakes unless it complies with AGFC Land-use policy. Further information is available at www.agfc.com or by
• calling 501-382-9071.
• Discharge or possess fireworks.
• Import, transport or carry any firewood into a Commission-owned WMA or campsite.
• Possess certain invasive aquatic plants as listed under AGFC Code 19.20.

Boating Laws

General Requirements

Registering and insuring: Boats propelled by sail or motor must be registered when operated on public waters.

Arkansas boat owners may register a boat at the office of the county revenue agent in the county where the boat is principally used or in their home county. All personal watercraft and motorboats powered by engines of more than 50 horsepower must show proof of $50,000 liability insurance when registering and it must be carried on board at all times.

Out-of-state boats with valid registrations may be operated for up to 90 days without registering in Arkansas.

Operating a boat in excess of 5 mph in a posted no-wake zone, within 100 feet of a recreation area, dock, pier, raft, float, anchored boat or dam intake or other
obstruction is illegal.

Lights

Boats must be equipped with the described lights to be operated during darkness.

1. On state-controlled waters, lights on boats, including those on nonpowered boats, must be sufficient to make the boat’s presence and location known to any other vessel within a reasonable distance.
2. On federally controlled waters, nonpowered boats must have a readily accessible light source to be used in sufficient time to prevent a collision. Motorboats operating on federally controlled waters must have a combination red-and-green light on the bow and a white light aft.

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are required on inboard boats, open boats with built-in fuel tanks and boats with bilges where flammable gases may accumulate.

Age Requirements

To operate a motorboat powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more:

A person under 12 years of age must:

1. Satisfy the boating education requirement and Be under the direct visible and audible supervision of a parent, guardian or person at least 18 years of age.

A person 12 years of age or older must satisfy the boating education requirement if born after 1985.

To operate a personal watercraft:

A person under 12 years of age must have a person at least 21 years of age on board who must:

1. Satisfy the boating education requirement if born after 1985 and
2. Be in a position to take immediate control of the PWC.
   

A person 12-15 years of age must have a person at least 18 years of age on board who must:

1. Satisfy the boating education requirement if born after 1985, and
2. Be in a position to take immediate control of the PWC.

You must be at least 16 years of age to operate a personal watercraft without adult supervision, and if born after 1985, you must have passed boating
education and carry proof of passing while operating a PWC. A person under 16 years of age may not operate any personal watercraft that is not rated to
carry at least two people.

Scuba

A diver’s flag means that scuba divers are in the water nearby. Slow down and use caution. Boats are required to operate at idle speed within 100 feet of a diver’s flag.

Boat Capacity

Loading a vessel beyond its stated safe carrying capacity is illegal.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

No vessel may enter within 100 yards downstream of an Army Corps of Engineers dam. Operating a vessel in a manner contrary to signs, markers or buoys placed by the Corps controlling speed, skiing or operation of vessels is prohibited.

Kill Switch

For motorboats equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard-type engine cutoff switch, the boat operator is required to attach the lanyard to his person, clothing or personal flotation device while the engine is in use. However, this requirement does not apply to anyone operating flat-bottomed boats on the tailwater of a trout fishery.

Boat Plugs

All boat plugs must be removed before leaving the loading area. All aquatic vessel drain plugs must be removed before and during transportation. Fishing tournament officials may submit a request for written permission to allow for the transport of fish to a weigh station. Transportation of baitfish is allowed in compliance with other baitfish regulations.

Accidents

The operator of a boat involved in an accident is required to immediately:

1. Render assistance to other persons affected by the incident to save them or minimize danger so far as he can without causing serious danger to his own boat, crew and passengers;
2. Give his or her name, address and identification of his or her boat in writing to any person injured and to the owner of any property damaged in the incident;
3. Notify the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission or the local sheriff’s office so an officer can investigate the accident. To report a boating accident, call 800-482-9262 (toll-free). Accidents involving death, injury or property damage in excess of $2,000 must be reported.

Drinking and Boating

A boat operator with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or greater is considered intoxicated and the boat operator is subject to arrest.

Mandatory Boating Education

Anyone born after 1985 and of legal age to operate a motorboat must have successfully completed an approved Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Boating Education Course and carry proof of completion while operating any motorboat on Arkansas waters.

A motorboat is defined as any vessel operated upon water propelled by sail or machinery, whether or not the machinery is the principal source of propulsion.

The Boating Education Course is designed to teach the fundamentals of safe and responsible boating and is written on a sixth-grade reading level. The Commission offers the following options for taking the Boating Education Course:

• The classroom course is a minimum six hours of instruction including the examination. This option is free.
• The internet course is available online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Students study the material online and must take and pass the online examination. There will be a minimum fee to take the online course.

After successful completion of one of these options, the student will be mailed a Boating Education Card.

Class Schedules: Information about boating education classroom, online or home study courses can be obtained by contacting the Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission at 501-223-6377 (Little Rock) or 877-493-6424 (toll-free). Information and class schedules are available online at www.agfc.com.

Canoes, Kayaks and Inner Tubes | PFDS

Glass Containers Are Prohibited

Except for containers for substances prescribed by a licensed physician, no person shall possess or use glass containers on Arkansas waters within a vessel easily susceptible to swamping, tipping or rolling. For purposes of this act, “vessel” shall not include a houseboat, party barge, jon boat, runabout, ski boat, bass boat or similar craft.

Fasten Cooler Lids

All coolers, iceboxes or containers for foodstuffs and beverages must be sealed or locked to prevent their contents from spilling into the water while on board a canoe, kayak, inner tube or other vessel easily susceptible to swamping, tipping or rolling while on Arkansas waters.

Attach and Use a Litter Container

Canoes, kayaks, inner tubes and other vessels easily susceptible to swamping, tipping or rolling that are transporting foodstuffs or beverages on Arkansas waters must have a litter container that is capable of being securely closed. All litter must be contained in this container until the litter may be safely and lawfully disposed.

Use a Floating Holder for Beverages

When onboard a canoe, kayak, inner tube or other vessel easily susceptible to swamping, tipping or rolling, any beverage not contained in a sealed or locked container or litter bag must be attached to or held within a floating holder that prevents them from sinking beneath the water’s surface.

Personal Flotation Devices

Boats under 16 feet long, canoes and kayaks must have one United States Coast Guard-approved wearable PFD for each person used according to its approved conditions on board.

Boats 16 feet or longer must have one USCG- approved wearable PFD for each person used according to its approved conditions and one USCG- approved throwable PFD on board.

Children under 13 must wear a well-fitting PFD at all times while aboard a boat. The only exceptions are when they are within the enclosed area of a houseboat, cruiser or within the railings of a party barge while the boat is not under way.

Personal watercraft (Jet-Skis, Seadoos, etc.) occupants are required to wear PFDs. Water skiers must wear a USCG-approved wearable PFD used according to its approved conditions.

Water skiing is not allowed from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. Boats towing water skiers must have, in addition to the driver, an observer at least 12 years old or a wide-angle convex marine mirror to observe the person being towed. Mirrors do not apply when towing persons on
personal watercraft.