Pocket Fishing GuideTale Waters & Tides
Arkansas sportfish

All Species

Live signal · Beaver Lake
Rarity
Family
Habitat
33 of 33 species
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
LEGENDARY

Alligator Gar

Atractosteus spatula
Alligator Gar
LOWER WHITE RIVER

Living fossil. Apex predator of slow southern water.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus
Bluegill
FARM PONDS

Every angler's first fish. Still the best kids' catch in the state.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Bowfin

Amia calva
Bowfin
BAYOU BARTHOLOMEW

Grinnel. Living fossil. The South's freshwater bulldog.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Flathead Catfish

Pylodictis olivaris
Flathead Catfish
LAKE CONWAY

Logjam ambush predator. Eats it live or not at all.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Freshwater Drum

Aplodinotus grunniens
Freshwater Drum
ARKANSAS RIVER

Gaspergou. The river's hidden heavyweight.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Kentucky Bass

Micropterus punctulatus
Kentucky Bass
BEAVER LAKE

Spotted bass. The deep, clear-water cousin of the Ozarks.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides
Largemouth Bass
LAKE OUACHITA

The tournament fish. Ambush predator of the vegetation.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Longnose Gar

Lepisosteus osseus
Longnose Gar
ARKANSAS RIVER

Needle-nosed prehistoric. Surface-rolling sentry.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Rock Bass

Ambloplites rupestris
Rock Bass
BUFFALO RIVER

Goggle-eye. The Ozark stream's punchy little brawler.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu
Smallmouth Bass
CROOKED CREEK

Pound-for-pound, the hardest pull in the Ozarks.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE100
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Hybrid Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis × chrysops
Hybrid Striped Bass
LAKE NORFORK

Wiper. Bred for muscle. Bred for the fight.

● GOHIGH CONFIDENCE98
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Blue Catfish

Ictalurus furcatus
Blue Catfish
MISSISSIPPI RIVER

The big river monarch. Trophy water fish.

● GOHIGH CONFIDENCE97
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis
Striped Bass
LAKE OUACHITA

The saltwater fish that forgot to leave.

● GOHIGH CONFIDENCE94
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus
Green Sunfish
FARM PONDS

The aggressive runt. Will hit anything that moves.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE92
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Redear Sunfish

Lepomis microlophus
Redear Sunfish
LAKE MONTICELLO

Shellcracker. Bottom-feeding panfish that crushes snails.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE92
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Longear Sunfish

Lepomis megalotis
Longear Sunfish
KINGS RIVER

The prettiest fish in Arkansas. Stained-glass on a hook.

● SPAWNHIGH CONFIDENCE91
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Spotted Gar

Lepisosteus oculatus
Spotted Gar
LAKE CHICOT

Mid-sized gar. Speckled. Surface-loving.

● GOHIGH CONFIDENCE91
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Channel Catfish

Ictalurus punctatus
Channel Catfish
ARKANSAS RIVER

Night-shift whiskered opportunist. The people's fish.

● GOHIGH CONFIDENCE88
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Warmouth

Lepomis gulosus
Warmouth
BAYOU BARTHOLOMEW

Stump-knocker. The bayou's mean-eyed sunfish.

● GOWORTH THE TRIP74
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
LEGENDARY

Paddlefish

Polyodon spathula
Paddlefish
BEAVER TAILWATER

Spoonbill. Living fossil. Filter-feeding ghost of the river.

● GOWORTH THE TRIP73
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
LEGENDARY

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta
Brown Trout
NORFORK TAILWATER

Ghost of the tailwater. State-record 40+ pounds.

● SCOUTWORTH THE TRIP69
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Rainbow Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss
Rainbow Trout
BULL SHOALS TAILWATER

Year-round cold-water quarry. Tailwater gold.

● SCOUTWORTH THE TRIP65
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Brook Trout

Salvelinus fontinalis
Brook Trout
NORFORK TAILWATER

The rarest trout in the state. Vermiculated jewel.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT64
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Chain Pickerel

Esox niger
Chain Pickerel
BIG LAKE

Slough shark. Toothy ambusher of the Delta.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT63
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Sauger

Sander canadensis
Sauger
ARKANSAS RIVER

Walleye's river cousin. Master of muddy current.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT63
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Walleye

Sander vitreus
Walleye
GREERS FERRY LAKE

Low-light hunter. Arkansas's northernmost gamefish.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT63
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

White Bass

Morone chrysops
White Bass
LAKE MAUMELLE

The spawning run every Ozark angler waits for.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT61
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Yellow Bass

Morone mississippiensis
Yellow Bass
LAKE CHICOT

Stripey. The Mississippi backwater's golden runt.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT61
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Black Crappie
LAKE GREESON

Paper-mouthed, school-schooled, skillet-bound.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT60
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Cutthroat Trout

Oncorhynchus clarkii
WHITE RIVER (BULL SHOALS TAILWATER)

Tailwater jewel with the crimson throat slash.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT58
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Saugeye

Sander vitreus × canadensis
GREERS FERRY LAKE

Walleye × sauger hybrid — the murky-water bonus.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT57
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
COMMON

White Crappie

Pomoxis annularis
White Crappie
LAKE CONWAY

Muddy-water specialist. Prolific. Forgiving.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT57
POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
RARE

Grass Pickerel

Esox americanus vermiculatus
Grass Pickerel
BAYOU DEVIEW

Pocket-sized predator. Tiny teeth, big attitude.

● SCOUTSCOUT & ADAPT56