TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
Spotted Gar
GO100SCORE
LAKE CHICOTHOME +10
🔥 SPAWN NOWMid-sized gar. Speckled. Surface-loving.
SIZE
24–36 in
MAX
44 in
WEIGHT
Up to 15 lbs
HABITAT
OxbowsBackwatersSlow rivers
Cypress oxbows, weedy backwaters, slow river bends.
DIET
Sunfish, shad, minnows.
BEST BAITS
Rope lures · Small live bait · Cut shad
SEASONAL PATTERN
SPRING
BESTSUMMER
FALL
WINTER
Summer: PEAK — visible rollers in shallows.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWHIGH CONFIDENCE
DEPTH
2–6 ft
shallow cover
TIMING
Dawn & last light only
TOP LURE · LURE
Rope lures
reaction strikes on bed — aggressive
TACKLE
Medium-heavy, 30 lb braid, wire leader
TECHNIQUE · Slow presentation in shallow cover
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 70–82°F TEMP MATCHBITE
62
FIGHT
80
STEALTH
70
FUN FACT
Of Arkansas's three gar species, the spotted gar is the homebody — rarely leaving the oxbow it was born in. Locals know individual fish by their spot patterns.
STATUS
Secure
Native · Lepisosteidae
PFG SIGNAL · EST80°F · Lake Chicot● GO 100