Fishing in the City
The Family & Community Fisheries Program works to enhance or create destinations in urban areas, so that excellent fishing is available within a stone’s throw of all Arkansans. The Family & Community Fisheries Program is a team effort that involves a staff of two fisheries biologists, Clifton Jackson and Chris Racey, and Assistant Family and Fishing Coordinator, Clinton Coleman. Additionally, we receive support for our program from the Aquatic Resource Education Program and the Warm Water and Cold Water Production Section staff of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. We often partner with city parks and recreation departments to enhance park facilities that are conveniently located near inner-city residents. Our efforts include sampling fish populations, aquatic habitat improvements, setting harvest restrictions, and stocking thousands of pounds of fish each year.
We have adopted an aggressive stocking schedule that involves stocking various Community Fishing Program Destinations with channel catfish in the warmer months, and rainbow trout in the winter months. At the onset of the stocking seasons, we hold kick-off events at select urban locations. Agency staff and other supporting groups come out to help everyone have an exciting day of fishing, and help folks out who’ve never fished before. We also hold beginner fishing clinics in select cities prior to our kick-off events. Hundreds of rods and reels are awarded annually to children that attend the fishing clinics, or are given away as door prizes at kick-off events.
Trout Stockings
Thousands of catchable-sized rainbow trout are stocked each winter in several city parks in the central Arkansas area. Opportunities have expanded to include some new locations.
Trout will be stocked in Little Rock at MacArthur, War Memorial, Kiwanis/Holt Street, Boyle, and Otter Creek Parks. The Cabot Community Pond, the Sherwood Municipal Pond, the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Lake Valencia in Maumelle and Regional Park Pond in Pine Bluff will also be stocked this winter.
Trout is being offered at all these locations. Many of these locations will be stocked on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. Trout do very well and are very active in the coldwater temperatures, which persist well into April.
Note: Trout are not stocked during the summer months. Trout stocking will resume in late October.
Click here to view the Family & Community Fisheries Program
Trout Stocking Schedule
Hybrid Striped Bass
Hybrid striped bass are a cross between a striped bass and a white bass. This cross takes the best characteristics of both species and combines them into an aggressive, fast-growing eating machine. Hybrid stripers are known for their vicious strikes and line-breaking runs. These fish are the newest addition to the Family and Community Fishing Program’s stocking program, and will provide anglers with another opportunity to fish urban ponds during the lull between the catfish and trout stocking seasons.
Though Arkansas sports some of the best waters in the country for giant hybrid stripers weighing up to 20 pounds or more, the hybrids stocked into urban ponds will average approximately one pound. While urban hybrids will be smaller in size, the ferocity of their strikes and drag-screaming runs will excite even the most hardcore angler when using light or ultralight fishing tackle and 4 to 6 pound test line. Not only do hybrids put up an extraordinary fight when hooked, but they also are excellent tablefare. These fish have a mild white fillet and are marketed commercially worldwide.
Fishing for urban hybrid stripers is relatively easy and can be extremely exciting. Hybrids are very willing to take artificial baits resembling minnows or shad. Lures such as roostertails, spoons, crankbaits, and white twistertail grubs on jigheads are excellent choices when targeting these fish. Baits such as chicken livers, shrimp, small minnows, and nightcrawlers will also catch hybrids. Hybrids tend to school up in ponds, so it’s always a good idea to work around the pond until you find the fish. However, once you find them, an angler can often catch 5 or 10 fish in one spot. These fish are very active in cooler water, and will aggressively bite and strike lures even when air temperatures are below freezing.
Hybrids will be stocked into select urban ponds each fall at approximately 100 fish per surface acre of water. However, some lakes may receive an additional stocking in late winter if holdover fish become available from the AGFC hatchery system. The daily creel limit on hybrid striped bass in the urban ponds is 3, and there is no size limit. To find out when and where hybrid striped bass have been stocked in urban ponds, click the link below.
Hybrid striped bass were stocked on March 13th, 2006 into Boyle Park pond, Kiwanis Park pond, MacArthur Park pond, War Memorial Park pond, Sherwood Community pond, and Cabot Community pond. Fifty of the hybrids stocked into each pond were tagged with a green, external tag. Click on the hyperlink below to learn more and to learn what to do if you catch a tagged fish.
Great Places to Fish in Central Arkansas
Have you ever wondered where to fish or how to catch fish in central Arkansas? Here is all the information you need to have a successful outing.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has partnered with several cities in central Arkansas to provide convenient and exceptional fishing locations. Friends and families can join together near their communities to get outdoors and enjoy a fun day of fishing.
Click on the hyperlink below to learn more about the fishing locations, to obtain maps of the areas and to learn about the fish we are stocking.
The Channel Catfish is a warm water fish that likes to position itself near underwater stumps, rocks, and logs on or near the bottom of a lake. Catfish are attracted to and can be caught on a variety of smelly baits as they have several thousands of taste buds on their barbels (whiskers) and body that they use to find food. Some consistently good catfish baits are chicken liver, worms, and commercially prepared stink bait.
Catfish may be caught from most of the Community Fishing Destinations using a 5’-6’ medium action fishing rod or a cane pole lined with 8-12 lbs. test fishing line, a small amount of lead weight (sinker), and a 1/0 – 2/0 sized hook.
Thousands of pounds of 14-18-inch channel catfish from our Warm Water Production Section are stocked every two to four weeks at all Community Fishing Destinations from April through September. Big blue catfish in the 15-75 pound range are also occasionally stocked in the summer months in order to add some trophy catfishing opportunities. These giant blue catfish have been raiding the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission net pen operations at Lake Ouachita and Bull Shoals Lake, eating about $200 worth of fish food each day and putting holes in the nets. Net pens are used to grow various species of fish for stocking in the state's lakes, and are extremely important production facilities for the AGFC’s hatchery system. These are some pretty impressive catfish, but they’re getting a free lunch and being destructive. So, the AGFC has decided to capture the fish and stock them into Little Rock urban ponds to promote fishing. The big blue catfish are in limited supply and won’t be stocked regularly, but AGFC has stocked the following ponds in the past with the giant fish: Boyle Park, MacArthur Park, Kiwanis Park, Otter Creek Park, Ottenheimer Park, Hindman Park and War Memorial Park. Remember, the pond at War Memorial park is limited to anglers 15 and younger or 65 and older.
Rainbow Trout are the most common trout species found in Arkansas and are occur year round in the state’s popular tailwater streams like the Little Red, White, and Norfork Rivers. However, because trout need cold water (less than 70 F) to survive, seasonal trout fishing opportunities can also be provided during the winter months at several Community Fishing Program destinations throughout the state. Catchable-size trout are regularly stocked at these destinations from mid-November through mid-March. Fish average about a pound, but a few lunkers will exceed 5 pounds. Trout often lurk near rock, logs, and drop-offs awaiting opportunities to capture prey items. They rely heavily on their vision to locate food. Therefore, light and ultra-light fishing line and tackle is a must. A good 4-5½ foot light to ultra-light action spinning or spincast rod-and-reel combo outfitted with 2-6 lb. test line and a size 8 or 10 salmon egg hook will work great for trout. Place a small sinker or splitshot approximately 6 to 18” above the hook, and fish with the weight on the bottom and the bait slightly off the bottom.
Baits that are effective at catching trout include, wax worms, nightcrawlers, corn, marshmallows, PowerBaitâ, salmon eggs, and cheese. Although trout sometimes take the bait off the stream bottom, it is preferable to float the bait just off the bottom about the length of the leader. This can be accomplished by placing a type of floating bait, such as marshmallows, PowerBaitâ, or nightcrawlers injected with air, on the end of the hook after the bait. Set the hook after feeling the telltale “tap-tap-tap” of the rod tip that signals a trout has taken the bait. Popular artificial lures include small minnow imitations, spoons, jigs, and fly fishing gear.
Hello, I am Clifton Jackson, the Statewide Family & Community Fisheries Program Coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. I am native to central Arkansas and I am extremely excited about working to provide awesome fishing destinations for families and friends in our more densely populated areas. I graduated from North Little Rock High School and went on to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fisheries/Aquaculture. I furthered my studies at the University of Georgia where I obtained a Masters Degree in Fisheries. Working with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission allows me to use the latest research to manage and enhance several lakes and ponds around the state. I am an avid fisherman and I am happy to provide thousands of other anglers with great places to fish, relax, and enjoy the outdoors with friends and family.
Hello, my name is Chris Racey, the Assistant Family and Community Fishing Biologist for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. I spent the first 23 years of my life in western PA, and the last 7 years in Arkansas. I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff with a Master of Science degree in Fisheries Biology in 2001 and continued to work at UAPB until 2005. While at UAPB, I studied crappie at Lake Chicot, largemouth bass at Lake Chicot and the Arkansas River, paddlefish and fish communities in oxbow lakes of the lower White River, and a number of other important Arkansas fisheries issues. I was hired by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in October 2005 to work in the Family and Community Fishing Program. Though originally from the north, I now consider Arkansas my home. Arkansas is full of tremendous fishing opportunities, and I’m excited to serve the State by enhancing those opportunities in statewide urban ponds and within Pulaski County. My hope is that every willing child is provided the opportunity to catch their first fish somewhere in Arkansas, and that they can create memories that will last a lifetime. Hello, my name is Clinton Coleman, the Assistant Family and Community Fishing Program Coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. I am a lifelong native of Hot Springs, Arkansas. I graduated from Hot Springs High School in 1980 and attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia from 1980 to 1984 with a major in Biology. I was hired in 1989 for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission as a Fisheries Technician III at the Andrew Hulsey Fish Hatchery in Hot Springs. I was responsible for the spawning, growing and delivery of 14 different sportfish for the state of Arkansas with some of the fish shipped to other states through cooperative work. I was transferred to the Family and Community Fishing Program November 2005. Arkansas is a place with great fishing in many lakes, ponds, rivers and streams that are just waiting to be fished by our youths and adults. I can’t wait to be a part of someone’s experience by providing the skills, tools and opportunities to explore the joys of fishing in Arkansas.
For information about the latest urban stockings, call our NEW toll-free hotline at 1-866-540-FISH (1-866-540-3474) or use the hyperlink below and view the stocking report.
To find out more about opportunities to fish in statewide urban areas, contact us at 501-978-7322.