Trout

Trout are not native to Arkansas. Arkansas’s trout fisheries are the result of cold-water discharge downstream from many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams.

Before these dams, the White River was full of smallmouth bass and other warmwater fish. The coldwater discharge wiped out the smallmouth fisheries.

The federal government mitigated the damage through the annual stocking of trout, which can handle much colder water temperatures. Brown trout can reproduce successfully in Arkansas, but rainbow trout populations require annual stockings.

To honor the brown trout’s contribution to conservation and tourism in The Natural State, this year’s Conservation License Plate features a brown trout swimming in prime Arkansas tailwater habitat. To learn more about brown trout in Arkansas, watch the video below.

Purchase the 2025 Conservation License Plate for your ride!

In 2023 and 2024, AGFC personnel collaborated with stakeholders to develop the 2025-2034 Arkansas Statewide Trout Management Plan. The AGFC used a variety of engagement tools to solicit public input, including the 2023 Trout Permit Holder Survey, a 2023 online survey, public meetings, and formation of a Stakeholder Advisory Committee who represented the diverse interests of all Arkansas trout anglers. Committee members identified six key areas and articulated the current values and issues associated with each key area. A Technical Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from AGFC and partner agencies, developed the objectives and strategies designed to address key areas and goals developed by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Ultimately, the plan created a vision for managing Arkansas’s trout fisheries from 2025 to 2034.

Important Trout Resources