Fishing Seasons

Statewide Seasons

AQUATIC TURTLES

A fishing license is required to take aquatic turtles with recreational fishing tackle or by hand for personal use. The daily limit is 6, common snapping turtles and Spiny Softshell turtles combined. All other species of turtles must be released. Recreationally harvested turtles may not be sold.

See how to identify alligator snapping turtles, which are protected by state law and may be soon by federal law, from common snapping turtles

BOWFISHING

For bowfishing, gigging and bullfrogs, daily limits are measured from noon to the following noon during their respective seasons.

Rough fish and catfish may be taken by bowfishing.

Alligator gar may be taken by bowfishing. Special regulations apply to the taking of alligator gar.

Bowfishermen may take catfish noon July 15-noon May 1. They may take half the daily statewide limit or half the limit of the waters being fished, whichever is smaller.

BULLFROGS

A fishing license is required to take bullfrogs. Bullfrogs may be taken noon April 15-midnight Dec. 31. Legal methods to take bullfrogs are using hands, hand nets, hook and line, gig, spear or any archery equipment. The limit is 18 per day (from noon to noon). The possession limit is 36. Bullfrogs may not be sold. (Fish farmers may be exempted from these regulations).

CRAY FISH

A fishing license is required to harvest crayfish (i.e. crawdads, mudbugs, crawfish).

1. Anglers may not fish more than 10 crayfish traps at one time. Crayfish traps must be checked and emptied every 24 hours. Crayfish traps must be removed from the water when not baited within 24 hours. Only crayfish and baitfish may be retained from traps. All other species must be immediately returned to the waters where taken. Live crayfish cannot be transferred to another waterbody.
2. Wild-caught crayfish from Arkansas cannot be sold or exported.
3. The Eleven Point, South Fork Spring, Spring and Strawberry rivers and their tributaries are closed to crayfish fishing.

GIGGING

Only rough fish may be taken with a gig. Game fish may not be possessed while gigging.

Alligator gar may be taken by gigging. Special regulations apply to the taking of alligator gar. Unless otherwise noted, gigging is not allowed in areas where fishing is limited to rod or pole.

HOGGING AND NOODLING

It is unlawful to raise any part of a natural or artificial device out of the water thereby aiding in the capture of enclosed fish. Daily catfish limit is half the daily statewide limit or half the limit of the waters being fished, whichever is smaller.

Open season for hogging and noodling is as follows: that portion of the state north and west of U.S. Highway 67 open July 15-Oct. 31, and that portion of the state south and east of U.S. Highway 67 open May 15-Oct. 31. The Arkansas River will remain open May 15-Oct. 31, and the Mississippi River will remain open May 1-July 15. Lake Charles and the Strawberry River below U.S. Highway 167 will remain open June 1-Oct. 31. Only buffalo, catfish, carp and drum may be taken. Hogging and noodling are prohibited on the Ouachita River from the mouth of the Little Missouri River to Remmel Dam.

SNAGGING

Snagging game fish may be done only from a bank within 100 yards below a dam.

Exceptions:

1. Snagging from a boat may be done only on the Arkansas River from 100 yards below a lock and dam to the downstream entrance point of the lock and from 100 yards below Dam No. 2 to the boat ramps immediately below the dam.
2. Snagging is prohibited below Upper White Oak Lake Dam.
3. Snagging is allowed from the bank below Beaver Dam from the “No Fishing Beyond This Point” sign downstream to the first boat ramp only April 15-June 15.
4. Snagging is allowed for catfish on the Black River (from the Missouri state line to the Spring River confluence) and the St. Francis River (from the Missouri state line to the Payneway Structure) with a daily limit of 5 catfish (no more than 2 flatheads and no more than 1 paddlefish) Jan. 1-Feb. 15.

Where it is legal to snag game fish, any game fish snagged must be kept and applied to the daily limit. Half the game fish daily limit may be taken by snagging, or the lesser whole number nearest onehalf the limit, although a full limit of catfish and paddlefish may be taken. Snagging must cease whenever a limit of any species is attained. Check your destination for area-specific special regulations regarding snagging.

SPEARFISHING

Spearfishing season for game fish is open June 15-March 15, sunrise to sunset, in lakes Beaver, Blue Mountain, Bull Shoals, Catherine, Conway, DeGray, De Queen, Dierks, Erling, Greers Ferry, Gillhan, Greeson, Hamilton, Harris Brake, Millwood, Nimrod, Norfork, Ouachita, Table Rock and impoundments created by the locks and dams on the Arkansas River.

Spearfishing for largemouth, spotted or smallmouth bass is not allowed in lakes Beaver, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock.

Rough fish may be taken by spearfishing all year on the waters mentioned above.

Spearfishing season for flathead catfish is open July 15-March 15.

When spearfishing, half the game fish daily limit, or the lesser number nearest half, may be taken. Spearfishers must abide by length and slot limits and may not have a spear gun in public waters other than those specified above.

Spearfishermen must display a standard diver’s flag and spearfish no more than 100 yards from it. The flag must be at least 12-inches-by-12-inches and at least 12 inches above the water.

Spearfishermen must complete spearfishing activities and leave the body of water where fish were taken before cleaning or dressing fish.

SUCKERS

Suckers include redhorse, hogsucker, white and spotted suckers. The daily limit is 20, the possession limit is 40. It is legal to take suckers by sport fishing, hogging, snagging or gigging.

Suckers may be snagged between sunrise and sunset April 1-Feb. 15.