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Arkansas is home to over 2,300 named lakes and reservoirs. You can also find the White River, Little Red River, the Mississippi River, and the aptly named Arkansas River flowing through the state’s borders.
For a state that often flies under the radar when it comes to fishing and outdoor life, Arkansas has plenty to offer! For instance, the state provides over 60,000 acres of lake fishing and over 9,000 miles of river and stream fishing.
All of the aforementioned rivers have produced Arkansas state record fish in the past. If you’re looking to fish lakes, however, there are also plenty of great options. DeGray Lake, Bull Shoals Lake, and Lake Ouachita are widely considered some of the top spots in Arkansas. Norfolk Lake, Greers Ferry Lake, and Mallard Lake are also popular destinations.
In 2020, Arkansas was also on the map when Sean Thornton landed a massive 4-pound crappie. You can read about that story below.
As always, be sure to obtain a valid Arkansas state fishing license before you hit the water. Even if you aren’t planning on hunting any state records, you need to be legal!
List of Every Arkansas State Fishing Record
| Species | Weight | Location | Angler | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alligator Gar | 240 lbs 0 oz | White River | John Stortz | July 28, 2004 |
| American Eel | 4 lbs 12 oz | Arkansas River | Gregg Armstrong | May 26, 2002 |
| Bighead Carp | 70 lbs 8 oz | Crooked Creek | Gregory Mitchell | July 31, 2008 |
| Bigmouth Buffalo | 50 lbs | Lake Conway | Tony Worm Conway | September 10, 2007 |
| Black Buffalo | 92 lbs 8 oz | Lake Maumelle | Kenny DeLuca | February 26, 2001 |
| Black Bullhead | 4 lbs 12 oz | Point Remove Creek | Janet Story | April 11, 1986 |
| Black Crappie | 5 lbs | Lake Wilhelmina | Donivan Echols | June 6, 2011 |
| Blue Catfish | 116 lbs 12 oz | Mississippi River W. Memphis | Charles Ashley Jr. | August 3, 2001 |
| Bluegill Sunfish | 3 lbs 4 oz | N/A | Albert Sharp | August 7, 1998 |
| Bowfin | 17 lbs 5 oz | N/A | Doug Smith | February 21, 1977 |
| Brook Trout | 5 lbs 0 oz | North Fork River | Billy J. Meeks | June 3, 2002 |
| Brown Trout | 40 lbs 4 oz | Little Red River | Howard Rip Collins | May 2, 1992 |
| Carp | 53 lbs 0 oz | Hamilton Lake | Lynn Bradley | March 23, 1985 |
| Chain Pickerel | 7 lbs 10 oz | Little Red River | Ave Vogel | January 6, 1979 |
| Channel Catfish | 38 lbs 0 oz | Lake Ouachita | Joe Holleman | June 3, 1989 |
| Cutthroat Trout | 9 lbs 9 oz | White River | Scott Rudolph | October 6, 1985 |
| Flathead Catfish | 80 lbs 0 oz | Arkansas River | Wesley White | October 28, 1989 |
| Flier Sunfish | 0 lbs 14 oz | Saline River | Harvey Jones | July 10, 1985 |
| Freshwater Drum | 45 lbs 6 oz | Lake Wilson Brake | Chuck Piker | July 11, 2004 |
| Gizzard Shad | 2 lbs 14 oz | White River | Charles Jordan | May 9, 1992 |
| Grass Carp | 65 lbs 14 oz | Horseshoe Lake | Gary Brewer | April 28, 1995 |
| Green Sunfish | 1 lbs 11 oz | Dierks Pond | Keith McCullough | April 12, 1976 |
| Hybrid Bass | 27 lbs 5 oz | Greers Ferry Lake | Jerald C. Shaum | April 24, 1997 |
| Lake Trout | 11 lbs 5 oz | Greers Ferry Lake | Clark Stevenson | December 15, 1997 |
| Largemouth Bass | 16 lbs 4 oz | Mallard Lake | Aaron Mardis | March 2, 1976 |
| Longear Sunfish | 1 lbs 2 oz | Table Rock Lake | Carl Bohannan | April 22, 1991 |
| Longnose Gar | 35 lbs 12 oz | Taylor Old River Lake | Tommy Cantrell | June 28, 2005 |
| Northern Pike | 16 lbs 1 oz | DeGray lake | Dick Cooley | December 27, 1973 |
| Ozark Bass | 1 lbs 8 oz | Lake Norfork | Jerry Heard | August 2, 1982 |
| Pacu | 7 lbs 1 oz | Lakewood Lake #1 | Gerald H. Kennedy | July 22, 1995 |
| Paddlefish | 102 lbs 8 oz | Beaver Lake | Michael Curran Rogers | March 22, 2007 |
| Rainbow Trout | 19 lbs 1 oz | White River | Jim Miller | March 14, 1981 |
| Redear Sunfish | 2 lbs 14 oz | Lake Bois dArc | Glenda Tatom | May 4, 1985 |
| Sauger | 6 lbs 12 oz | Arkansas River | Claude Eubanks | December 15, 1976 |
| Saugeye | 6 lbs 1 oz | Crown Lake | Cleveland Henderson | February 5, 1993 |
| Shadow Bass | 1 lbs 12 oz | Spring River | James E. Baker | July 5, 1999 |
| Shovelnose Sturgeon | 1 lbs 7 oz | Arkansas River | Ricky Ozment | May 1, 2000 |
| Silver Carp | 51 lbs 5 oz | Arkansas River | Gregory Mitchell | July 31, 2008 |
| Skipjack Herring | 2 lbs 13 oz | Ouachita River | Monte Pascoe | April 4, 1997 |
| Smallmouth Bass | 7 lbs 5 oz | Bull Shoals Lake | Acie Dickerson | April 1, 1969 |
| Smallmouth Buffalo | 74 lbs 0 oz | Millwood Lake | Zane Barrett | April 15, 2007 |
| Spotted Bass | 7 lbs 15 oz | Bull Shoals Lake | Mike Heilich | March 26, 1983 |
| Spotted Gar | 6 lbs 12 oz | Mellwood Old River | Vernon Neal | October 3, 1995 |
| Striped Bass | 64 lbs 8 oz | White River | Jeff Fletcher | April 28, 2000 |
| Tiger Muskellunge | 23 lbs 12 oz | Spring River | Randy Wyatt | June 27, 1995 |
| Tilapia | 3 lbs 7 oz | Lake Jewett | Sheila Easterly | October 9, 2008 |
| Walleye | 22 lbs 11 oz | Greers Ferry Lake | Al Nelson | March 12, 1982 |
| Warmouth | 1 lbs 8 oz | Black Bayou | Michael Curtis | May 28, 1998 |
| White Bass | 5 lbs 4 oz | Bull Shoals Lake | William Wilson | April 23, 1984 |
| White Crappie | 4 lbs 7 oz | Big Mingo Creek | Shelby D. Cooper | April 12, 1993 |
| Yellow Bass | 2 lbs 2 oz | DeQueen Lake | Tony Dinger | April 26, 2009 |
Know of any Arkansas state record fish that need updated? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below.
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