Arkansas
Fishing License 2026.

License required?

Yes

Where to apply?

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC). Online at agfc.com, regional offices, nature centers, or at Walmart + most sport stores statewide.

Cost

Resident annual: $10.50. Non-resident annual: $60. Non-resident 3-day trip: $30. Non-resident 7-day: $45. Trout Permit: $10 resident / $20 non-res (required for designated trout waters).

Validity

Annual (Jul 1 – Jun 30) or 1/3/7-day

Available online?

Yes

Arkansas is an affordable Southern fishing destination — the world-record brown trout (40 lb 4 oz, 1992) came from the Little Red River. Required for ages 16+. A Trout Permit is required to fish the tailwaters below Beaver, Bull Shoals, Norfork, Greers Ferry, or Lake Greeson dams AND to keep trout from any Arkansas water.

Closed seasons

Most waters year-round. Spawning-closure catch-and-release windows on select smallmouth streams March–May. Walleye: year-round open, heaviest runs Feb–April below dams.

Catch limits

Largemouth bass: 6/day 15" min on most public waters. Smallmouth bass: 4/day 12" min. Trout (rainbow/brown): 5/day aggregate on most tailwaters — brown trout protected with 16" min + 1/day on White + Little Red. Striped bass: 3/day 20" min (Beaver + Norfork).

Prohibited methods

Snagging prohibited statewide. Jug fishing + trotlines allowed with tags + name labels. Bowfishing legal for non-game species only.

Catch & Release

Required for brown trout over slot on Little Red + White River trophy sections. Buffalo National River: all smallmouth C&R on designated sections.

White River below Bull Shoals Dam runs 100 miles of world-class tailwater trout fishery — Rim Shoals + Cotter are legendary access points. Norfork Tailwater (4.5 miles) is dense with trophy browns. Buffalo National River is America's first National River (1972) — pristine smallmouth bass.

Best season

Trout tailwaters: year-round (best October–April). Smallmouth on Buffalo: April–June + September–October. Striper on Beaver: March–June. Crappie spawn: April.

Freshwater

600,000+ acres of lakes + 9,740 miles of fishable streams. Ozark + Ouachita mountain streams, tailwaters below 6 major dams, White River complex.

Saltwater

None.

Equipment

Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher (Cotter, White River HQ). Local tackle shops in Mountain Home, Heber Springs, Rogers. Bass Pro Shops flagship in Rogers, AR.

Fishing guides

$350–$500/day trout float (drift or jon boat, White + Little Red). $400–$600/day bass on Beaver. $300–$500 Buffalo smallmouth float.

Transport

XNA (Northwest AR) for Beaver + White River north. LIT (Little Rock) central. Rental car essential — most famous water is 2–3h from any airport.

Safety

Copperhead + rattlesnake country April–October. Summer heat 35°C+ with high humidity. Flash floods possible on Ozark streams. Tick season (Lyme + alpha-gal) brutal May–September.

License fees

$10.50–$60 + $10–$20 trout permit

Guide prices

$300–$600/day

Daily budget

Budget: $70–$100/day. Guided: $350–$600/day.