Fishing and Hunting
Fishing
The mention of the Ozarks brings to mind rugged mountains carpeted
with colorful hardwoods and thousands of miles of clear flowing
streams teeming with fish. Imagine watching your favorite bait
drift quietly into the depths of a clear Ozark pool, and suddenly
being startled by the brilliant flash of bronze that transforms
the majestic tranquility into a heart racing, exploding fight
with the "tiger fish" - the smallmouth bass
If thoughts like this stir your soul, the the Ozark-St. Francis
National Forests are for you.
Our 1.2 million acres harbor hundred of miles of pristine cool
water streams. Anglers can match wits with native fish like smallmouth,
spotted, shadow and Ozark bass. If you prefer, try your luck on
the world-renowned White River, with its rainbow and cutthroat
trout, not to mention world record brown trout that lurk in the
dark pools. If lakes and largemouths are more to your liking,
the Ozark-St. Francis can make you feel at home as well. The forest
is home to over 2,000 acres of lakes and ponds, from small two-acre
ponds nestled in the mountain and forests, to the 825 acre Bear
Creek Lake. Many of these lakes and ponds are full of largemouth
bass, blue gill and redear sunfish, channel and blue catfish,
as well as other species that were "made for the frying pan."
Lakes include man-made structures, as well as Mississippi River
oxbow lakes. How about trying your luck trolling for hybrid striped
bass? Storm Creek Lake has a large population of 12 to 15 pound
fish ready to test your skills. With the wide variety of quality
fishing opportunities and breathtaking scenery available in the
Ozark-St. Francis National Forests, the toughest choice you have
is deciding what species you want to catch. They're all
here, waiting for you!
Want to know what types of fish are in our forest's lakes and
streams?Check out our Fishing
Guide for details on what fish are where.
Hunting
Wildlife on the National Forests is managed cooperatively with
the Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission. The U.S. Forest Service is chiefly
responsible for providing and managing habitat for the animals,
while the Game and Fish Commission manages the animal populations
and regulates hunting and fishing.
Six Wildlife Management Areas (WMA's) are located within the
forest boundaries: White Rock, Piney Creeks, Sylamore, Magazine,
Ozark National Forest, and St. Francis WMA. These areas are also
managed cooperatively with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
White-tailed deer, black bear, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, cottontail
rabbit, wild turkey, mourning dove, bobwhite quail and waterfowl
are the principle game species that are hunted in the Forests.
Fur bearer trapping and hunting is allowed in the Forests as well.
There are special archery, muzzle loading and modern gun seasons
for white-tailed deer and black bear, and special archery and
modern gun seasons for wild turkey. There are spring and fall
seasons for both wild turkey and squirrel.
A State Hunting or Fishing License is required to take game or
fish from the National Forests. Regulations established by both
the Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission and the Forest Service must be followed
when hunting or fishing on the National Forests. Regulations and
hunting zone maps are provided in the current issue of the General
Arkansas Hunting Regulations, Arkansas Turkey Hunting Guidebook,
Arkansas Waterfowl Hunting Regulations, and the Arkansas Fishing
Regulations books distributed by the Arkansas
Game and Fish Commission.