Beaver Tailwater Trout Management Plan
Do you like to fish for trout in the cold water of the White River below Beaver Dam? Have you fishes there and left unhappy with your experience? Would you fish more often in the Beaver tailwater if the fishery were improved in some way? The Arkansas Game and Fish Commissions Trout Management Program has developed a new process for creating management plans for trout fisheries involving people and anglers interested in helping. Trout fishery managers have begun this process to develop a management plan for the 8-mile long Beaver tailwater trout fishery. Suggestions from public meetings about fish, habitat, water quality, angler access and other topics have all been included in the plan.
A few changes in stocking and fishing regulations will help increase the average size of rainbow trout and maintain trophy brown trout in the Beaver tailwater, which were goals identified during the public input workshops.
Twenty percent fewer rainbow trout will be stocked in the tailwater each year, and they will be distributed to match heavy seasonal fishing pressure. Fewer brown trout will be stocked. Brook trout and cutthroat trout will no longer be stocked which will create more forage and habitat for rainbow and brown trout.
The stocking adjustments are based on studies that showed more rainbows than necessary were stocked. The high number led to excessive mortality and poor growth rates for rainbows.
Studies also showed that brook and cutthroat trout were not successful in this tailwater. Cutthroats did not survive well and since the brook trout population was high, they were growing slowly and not reaching the 14-inch minimum length limit. Brown trout continue to grow well in the tailwater.
These stocking changes will help lower the trout density in the tailwater, increase food supply and bolter trout growth.
A new slot limit was implemented in 2006 and will help increase survival rates and improve growth rates for trout. A 13-16-inch slot limit for trout has been set from Beaver Dam to Houseman Access. Trout from 13-16 inches long must be released immediately. The number of trout an angler may harvest each day is five, and only one of those kept may be longer than 16 inches.
Anglers using bait must use a single, barbless hook so fish to be released will be less likely to be injured. Barbs on the shank of bait-holder hooks are legal; otherwise, all legal lures and baits are allowed.
The former catch and release area now falls under the 13-16 inch slot limit, and only single barbless artificial lures may be used.
All other trout regulations-including possession of a trout permit, must be followed from Beaver Dam to Houseman Access, which is an important change because trout regulations used to end at the Arkansas Highway 62 Bridge.
These few, simple adjustments should create a healthier fishery and pay big dividends for Arkansas anglers.
Advisory Group
The purpose of the
Beaver Tailwater Trout Management Advisory Group is to help the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission improve overall management of the trout resources in the Beaver Tailwater. To access the advisory group charter, click on the link below.
Beaver Tailwater Trout Management Advisory Group Charter
Advisory Group Meeting
The meeting purpose was to establish an advisory group to assist with future management of the Beaver tailwater. To access the advisory group organizational meeting, click on the link below.
Summary of Advisory Group Organizational Meeting
Public Workshop Summaries
On March 1, 2005, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, a public workshop was held in Rogers, AR, for the purpose of getting input to help in crafting options for management of the Beaver tailwater trout fishery. This report summarizes the results of the March 1 workshop.
Summary of March 1 Workshop
On April 11, 2005, from 6:30 – 8:45 pm, a second public workshop was held in Rogers, AR, for the purpose of evaluating management options structured by AGFC following a public workshop held March 1. This report summarizes the results of the April 11 workshop.
Summary of April 11 Workshop
Management Summary
Trout biologists have created a document that summarizes the most important scientific, biological data from Beaver Tailwater for your information. To access the summary, click on the hyperlink below.
A Summary of Trout Management and Research on the Beaver Tailwater
AGFC trout fishery managers are now working on developing trout fishing management options for Beaver Tailwater. The management options will result from the combination of input from people, and scientific information that has been gathered from Beaver Tailwater.
Beaver Tailwater Fish Population Sampling Reports
The trout population in Beaver Tailwater was sampled using electrofishing equipment on October 30th and November 1st 2006. The objectives of this population survey were to estimate relative abundances, in terms of catch per unit effort (CPUE), of trout and other gamefish and to obtain information on the size structure of the trout populations. The results of this population survey were compared to the data collected in January 2006 to evaluate the success of management changes that went into effect January 1, 2006.
January 2006 Population Sampling Report
October & November 2006 Population Sampling Report