Flood Prone Zones
Flood Prone Zones
Current gauge readings and flood prone region closures are available by calling Wildlife Information at 833-345-0398, option 8. Readings are updated by 3 p.m. daily.
- Closure of flood prone regions is determined by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission personnel using gauges at each location every day by 3 p.m. The closure is effective at midnight and begin at the beginning of legal shooting hours for the next day’s hunt. However, it will reopen immediately upon the designated gauge reading reaching the target opening level.
- These reports do not include National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) reports. For information on closures of National Wildlife Refuges, please contact the NWR office or refer to NWR regulations for more information.
NWR Contact Numbers
- Bald Knob NWR 501-724-2458 or 870-347-2614
- Big Lake NWR 870-564-2429
- Cache River NWR 870-347-2614
- Dale Bumpers White River NWR 870-282-8200
- Felsenthal NWR 870-364-3167
- Holla Bend NWR 479-384-5693
- Overflow NWR 870-473-2869
- Pond Creek NWR 870-289-2126
- Wapanocca NWR 870-343-2595
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Flood Prone Zone closures only affect deer hunting in the zone closed. All other hunting and fishing opportunities remain open.
The bottomland habitats of eastern Arkansas offer excellent habitat for large deer populations, but these low-lying areas also can become inundated quickly, pushing deer into smaller areas with less available cover. This creates a situation where deer may become vulnerable to overharvest, and removes some of the aspects of fair chase. Hunting in flooded areas also increases the chances of game loss as fatally hit deer may run into swift-moving stream or deep areas before hunters can recover their harvest.
No. The $5 application fee for permit hunts on WMAs are nontransferrable and nonrefundable. Hunting licenses also are nontransferrable and nonrefundable.
AGFC biologists monitor set river gauges periodically throughout the day and these gauges determine when to close or open a flood prone zone. AGFC staff will provide updates to the website and the AGFC wildlife hotline by 3 p.m. daily. The closure of a flood prone zone becomes effective at midnight for the next day’s hunt. An area opens to deer hunting again immediately on the established river gauges reaching the opening criteria (no delay is necessary).
No. All deer hunting, no matter which method used, is closed during flood prone zone closures.
The AGFC routinely has outside vendors perform hunter attitude surveys to gauge people’s thoughts on various hunting regulations. The last such survey was performed via email in 2018. Accoridng to that survey, 60 percent of hunters were in favor of flood prone zone closures with current criteria, and 15 percent opposed them.
