The Best Fishing Spots in Arkansas
Arkansas offers excellent year‑round fishing across clear rivers, large lakes and deep reservoirs, plus cool Ozark tailwaters for trout. Anglers target world‑class largemouth bass on impoundments, strong runs of white bass and striped bass in major river systems, and rocky stretches that hold quality smallmouth bass. Abundant panfish such as crappie and bluegill, popular catfish (channel and flathead), and seasonal walleye give anglers many options for shore, boat, or float trips. Whether you want topwater action for bass, jigging for crappie, or drifting tailwaters for trout, Arkansas has diverse waters and species for every recreational angler.
Top Cities For Fishing
River Fishing
Top Freshwater Fishing Spots
Arkansas River
This big‑river fishery through central Arkansas produces excellent blue catfish, flatheads, white bass, and tournament‑caliber largemouth around wing dikes and backwaters; pools near Little Rock , Pine Bluff , and Dardanelle are popular for spring runs and summer night bites.
Beaver Lake
Stretching through the Ozarks near Rogers and War Eagle , Beaver is renowned for clear‑water striped bass, smallmouth, and seasonal crappie; spring draws fish shallow in creek arms, while summer schooling action and deep structure fishing dominate the lower end.
Bull Shoals Lake
A massive Ozark reservoir known for stripers, walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, and slab crappie, Bull Shoals shines with deep, clear water techniques; spring walleye runs, summer night fishing for stripers, and fall smallmouth on gravel points are staples, with easy access around Lakeview and the world‑class trout tailwater below Bull Shoals Dam .
Lake Chicot
A huge oxbow lake along the Mississippi River known for catfish, crappie, and shallow‑water largemouth; fish cypress edges and bayous around Lake Chicot State Park and the town of Lake Village , with productive summer night bites.
Crooked Creek
An Ozark smallmouth gem with clear riffles, deep holes, and bluff pools that produce bronze‑back action from spring through fall; prime wading and float stretches run near Yellville and Pyatt , with topwater bites peaking in summer.
Greers Ferry Lake
A deep, clear Ozark reservoir with famous walleye runs, strong smallmouth and spotted bass populations, open‑water hybrid striped bass, and quality crappie; fish humps and brush in fall and winter, chase hybrids on breaking schools in summer, and explore access around Heber Springs .
Horseshoe Lake
A Mississippi River oxbow in east Arkansas known for crappie, blue catfish, and shallow‑water largemouth; docks and cypress shorelines around Horseshoe Lake and Hughes produce from pre‑spawn into early summer, with night fishing popular in the heat.
Lake Catherine
A scenic Ouachita River impoundment below Lake Hamilton , Lake Catherine fishes well for trout in the tailrace near Remmel Dam , plus largemouth, spotted bass, and crappie along rocky banks and docks; cooler water extends summer bites in the upper reaches.
Lake Conway
One of the state’s largest game‑and‑fish lakes, Lake Conway is a shallow stump field that pumps out crappie, bluegill, and largemouth bass; spring and fall dominate around cypress trees and pads, with plentiful bank access near Mayflower and Conway .
Lake Dardanelle
A premier tournament venue on the Arkansas River renowned for largemouth bass, strong crappie slabs, and seasonal white bass; riprap, grass, and backwaters around Russellville and Illinois Bayou consistently produce from pre‑spawn through fall.
Lake Greeson
A rugged Ouachita foothills reservoir offering spotted and largemouth bass, schooling white bass, and dependable crappie on brush; fish rocky points and timbered coves near Daisy and Kirby Landing , with winter jigging a local favorite.
Lake Hamilton
An accessible Hot Springs reservoir with abundant largemouth, spotted bass, stripers/hybrids, and summertime bluegill; docks, bridge pilings, and main‑lake points hold fish year‑round, and nearby Lake Catherine provides a complementary bite when conditions shift.
Lake Maumelle
Little Rock’s drinking‑water reservoir offers clear‑water spotted bass, schooling white bass, and solid crappie on submerged timber and points; expect open‑water shad chases in warm months and finesse bass tactics near Big Maumelle Creek in cooler periods.
Lake Ouachita
Arkansas’s largest lake is famed for its clear water and diverse fishery, producing trophy striped bass, quality largemouth, abundant spotted bass, spring crappie, and year‑round catfish; expansive timbered coves and offshore humps fish well from late winter through post‑spawn, and the many access areas near Hot Springs and Mountain Pine make both shoreline fishing and big‑water trolling popular.
Little Red River
Cold tailwater below Greers Ferry Dam famous for brown and rainbow trout, including record‑class fish; drift boats work eddies and shoals during generation, while low water invites wading with small jigs and natural presentations near Cow Shoals and Winkley Shoals .
Millwood Lake
A flooded cypress reservoir in southwest Arkansas famous for trophy largemouth, plus strong crappie and catfish populations; grass lines, laydowns, and oxbows near Saratoga and Millwood State Park shine from pre‑spawn through late fall.
Nimrod Lake
Arkansas’s oldest Corps reservoir is a classic shallow fishery for crappie, catfish, and chunky largemouth; target woody cover, river channels, and backwater flats near Waveland and Fourche La Fave River , with strong spring and fall bites.
Norfork Lake
A deep highland reservoir celebrated for striped bass, walleye, and crappie, with strong night bites around points and creek mouths; summer sees down‑rigging and live bait for stripers, while fall and winter jigging excels near Henderson and Gamaleil .
Spring River
Fed by Mammoth Spring , this cool, swift river supports year‑round rainbow and brown trout, plus strong smallmouth in lower reaches; wade and kayak anglers target shoals and deep pools from Dam 3 downstream to Hardy .
White River
Legendary for trout—including giant brown trout—the White River below Bull Shoals Dam and Norfork Dam offers cold, clear flows ideal for drift boats and wade anglers; streamers and jigs shine during generation pulses, while low flows reward finesse tactics around Cotter and Gaston .