Arkansas tailwaters
first gained fame for producing lunker rainbow
trout in the 1950s and '60s.
During that period, five-
to 10-pound rainbows were
commonly caught. In recent
years, though, monster
brown trout have stolen
the limelight and made
Arkansas world-famous as
a trout-fishing hot spot.
The all-tackle, world- record brown (40 pounds, 4 ounces) was caught in May 1992 in the Little Red River below Greers Ferry Lake. This and other tailwater trout fisheries produce significant numbers of brown trout topping 30 pounds. Five to 10 pounders are common.
Recent management efforts should further improve the quality of Arkansas trout fishing. Since 1990, several regulations have been implemented to help trout remain for several years in the fertile tailwaters. Currently, a statewide, 16-inch minimum-length limit and two-fish daily creel limit apply to cutthroat trout, which commonly reach four pounds. The state record is 9 pounds, 9 ounces.
An identical regulation applies to brown trout in Spring River, and the Bull Shoals, Norfork and Beaver tailwaters. In the Greers Ferry tailwater, a 16- to 21-inch protected slot length and four-fish daily creel limit (with only one 21 inches or over) were initiated on January 1, 1995, because there are too many naturally reproducing brown trout.
The overall daily creel limit on trout is six. Brown or cutthroat trout over 16 inches can only comprise two each toward the daily limit except in the case of the Little Red River.
Another exciting development is the implementation of five trophy-trout areas totaling six miles on Arkansas tailwaters. The areas are: 100 yards below Bull Shoals Dam to 100 feet above Rivercliff Trout Dock, and Jenkins Creek to Lower Rim Island on the Bull Shoals tailwater (White River); Otter Creek to 100 yards above the River Ridge Access on the Norfork tailwater (North Fork River); Campground C to 100 yards above Parker Bend on the Beaver tailwater (White River); and Dunham Shoals to Mossy Shoals on the Greers Ferry tailwater (Little Red River).
These areas are limited to artificial, barbless, single-hook lures only, and all trout caught must be released. By allowing fish in these areas to remain in the stream for several years, rainbow and cutthroat trout should exceed four pounds. Exciting catch-and-release fishing will exist for these trophy-class fish, and anglers may be able to keep a trophy as some of these large fish migrate into adjacent waters under normal regulations.
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