Arkansas is home to some very good fishing lakes with some beautiful surroundings. The state fishes similar to Missouri’s popular waters since many of these lakes are home to largemouth bass, spotted bass and smallmouth bass. If you’re looking to target bass, there is a good chance you catch 2 or 3 of these species of bass. There are some very big largemouth bass caught in Arkansas as well.
Learn more about the featured largemouth bass fishing destinations in Arkansas.
| Beaver Lake | Lake Dardanelle |
| Bull Shoals Lake | Mississippi River |
| Heber Springs, AR | Norfork Lake |
| Hot Springs, AR | Ozark Mountains |
Learn More About Arkansas’ Featured Fishing Destinations
| Arkansas River | Lake Dardanelle |
| Beaver Lake | Mississippi River |
| Bull Shoals Lake | Norfork Lake |
| Heber Springs, AR | Ozark Mountains |
| Hot Springs, AR | White River |
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River begins in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains near Leadville, Colorado and ends in eastern Arkansas at the confluence with the Mississippi River. This river flows almost 1,470 miles through Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas before entering the Mississippi River. The Arkansas River is home to a diverse fishery with some excellent trout fishing as it flows through Colorado. As it flows into Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, the fishery becomes more of a bass, crappie, catfish, carp and sunfish fishery. There are some excellent fishing destination along this river in many different spots along the Arkansas River.
Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake is located high in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas, which is the birthplace of the White River. The lake features around 487 miles of natural shoreline offering visitors plenty of recreational opportunities. Beaver Lake is a popular vacation destination for boating, fishing, golfing, hiking and just relaxing around the beautiful lake. Beaver Lake has more than 28,000 surface acres of water.
Beaver Lake is an awesome multi-species fishing lakes. Striped bass are king here, but there are a variety of other bass, walleye, many different types of panfish and some awesome trout fishing close by.
Bull Shoals Lake
Bull Shoals Lake is located on the border of Missouri and Arkansas. You can enjoy fishing, boating, hiking or just relaxing around the lake. This region has plenty of places to stay, boat rentals and restaurants so you can plan a trip here, but don’t expect to find bigger towns with tons of stores. This is an uncrowded destination, making it a wonderful place to get away from it all. Just plan accordingly with the things you will need for a week on the lake. Bull Shoals Lake is an awesome multi-species fishing lake. Many different species of bass are available to go along with walleye, catfish, trout and panfish.
Heber Springs, AR
Heber Springs, Arkansas was founded as a health resort. It now serves as the gateway to Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River. For anglers, you have a lot of options here with year round fishing for a variety of fish. The town also has plenty to offer tourists without being a super crowded vacation destination.
Hot Springs, AR
Hot Springs, Arkansas is the Ouachita Mountain area’s main hub. You have lots of southern charm here with shops, galleries, restaurants and more. If you enjoy the outdoors, you have a lot of options in this area. With Lake Hamilton, Lake Catherine, Lake Ouachita and the area tailwater fisheries, you have lots of options for catching fish year round.
Lake Dardanelle
Lake Dardanelle is a large reservoir that stretches about 50 miles as part of the Arkansas River Navigation System. With over 34,000 acres of water and more than 300 miles of shoreline, you have tons of water to enjoy while on your vacation. Many anglers come here to fish for largemouth bass and catfish, however, you can also experience good fishing for catfish, striped bass, white bass and a variety of sunfish.
Norfork Lake
Norfork Lake is one of the most popular vacation spots in the Ozarks. The lake has some beautiful surroundings to go along with its clear water. With over 550 miles of shoreline and 22,000 surface acres, there is plenty of water here for pleasure boaters and anglers.
Norfork Lake is known as a good striped bass fishing lake, but there is so much more here to offer anglers. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, white bass, sunfish, crappie, walleye and catfish are all here.
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River starts at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota and ends in the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles south of New Orleans, Louisiana. It covers more than 2,300 miles and flows through 10 states including 5 major cities. The fishery can be very good depending on what part of the river you are fishing. It will fish much differently up in Minnesota than it does down near New Orleans. There are several featured fishing destinations that we cover that include the Mississippi River as a good body of water to be fishing in that specific area.
Ozark Mountains
The Ozark Mountains are actually a series of plateaus that are located in Northwest Arkansas and they cover most of the southern half of Missouri as well. This area is beautiful and it is home to so many of our featured fishing destinations. You can find plenty of gorgeous lake, rivers and streams in the Ozark Mountains. Anglers target a variety of fish such as trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, white bass, catfish, bluegill, crappie and more.
White River Arkansas
The White River, of northwest Arkansas, flows north and east into Missouri then back into Arkansas. The river travels a total of 720 miles to its confluence with the Mississippi River. The upper end of the White has been impounded in several places to form three major reservoirs (Beaver, Table Rock, and Bull Shoals) and a river-run lake (Taneycomo). The White River basin drain contains about 27,765 square miles with crystal clear water and a bottom composed of gravel, bedrock and sand. The White River, below the Bull Shoals Dam, is one of the most famous trout fisheries in the world.
The White River is home to some awesome trout fishing. It is one of the better rivers in the midwest if you’re looking for action with the shot at a trophy fish too. Rainbow trout are loaded in this river due to an excellent stocking program. The brown trout fishing is also very good with some very big fish available in this river.
