HAPPY NEW YEAR:
New This Year in Trout
Hatcheries, Facilities and Districts
- Revised the trout retention restriction code to make culling of all species of trout unlawful on all waters in the state.
- Reduced number of rods permitted on the Narrows Tailwater (Little Missouri River below Narrows Dam) and the Spring River from two rods to one rodperindividual.
- Enacted a regulation to limit harvest of trout over 14 inches to one per day on Bull Shoals and Norfork Tailwaters.
- Increased the minimum length limit for cutthroat trout from 16 to 24 inches and reduced the daily limit from 2 sh to 1 sh per day on Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters.
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Reduced the daily limit of brook trout from 2 fish to 1 fish per day on BullShoal sand Norfork tailwaters.
Enacted a regulation to restrict anglers using bait (e.g., corn, worms, PowerBait) to a single hooking point.
Removed the Monkey Island Catch-and-Release area from special regulations on Bull Shoals Tailwater.
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Anglers venturing out for a day of fishing will find a few changes to fishing regulations on waters throughout Arkansas this year. The new rules include trout regulations on the tailwaters of Bull Shoals and Norfork dams after public input at management plan meetings.
The daily limit on all trout species combined is five, but only on may be 14 inches or longer. The daily limit on cutthroat was reduced to one, and the minimum length for that species is 24 inches. The daily limit on brook trout was reduced to one. Anglers may only use a single hooking point when using natural or scented bait on the Bull Shoals and Norfork tailwaters. In addition, the Monkey Island Catch-and-Release Area on Bull Shoals Tailwater was removed.
These and several other regulations were passed in August during the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s regular regulations cycle and were post-dated to be effective Monday. Copies of the 2018 Arkansas Fishing Guidebook and 2018 Arkansas Trout Fishing Guidebook are being distributed across the state and are available for download at agfc.com.