Black Bass

Black bass are Arkansas’s most sought-after game fish.

They are fun to catch due to their aggressiveness and tendency to go after a wide variety of bait and are a delicious presence at the dinner table. While black bass represent a diverse group of 13 fish species, there are three species native to Arkansas: the largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission also stocks the Florida largemouth bass because of its tendency to grow larger than the northern species.

Largemouth bass are a widespread species found throughout Arkansas in clear, calm waters, in natural and manmade impoundments, rivers and streams, bayous and backwaters, and small ponds. Smallmouth bass are mainly inhabitants of cool, clear mountain streams, but also occur in moderate numbers in some Arkansas reservoirs. Spotted bass primarily inhabit large streams and rivers, but have also adapted well to impoundments found throughout the state.