002.00.17 Ark. Code R. 004

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 10, October, 2024

Rule 002.00.17-004 - Mercer Bayou Game Fish Regulation

N1.01GAME FISH DAILY LIMITS

Alligator Gar Black Basses (including not	1
more than four Smallmouth)	10
Bream (over 4 inches length)	50
Catfish (exc. Bullhead)	10
Crappie	30
Rock Bass	10
Muskellunge	6
Paddlefish	2
Pickerel	6
Sauger	6
Saugeye	6
Shovelnose Sturgeon	No Limit
Striped Bass or Hybrid (Combination)	6
Trout (including not more than:
2 brown trout, 2 cutthroat
trout, 2 brook trout)	5
Walleye	6
White Bass	25

EXCEPTIONS:

(1) The following bodies of water are restricted to half the daily limit for all sportfish: Horseshoe Bend Pool of the Strawberry River in Izard County. All crappie on Lower White Oak Lake must be released immediately. There is no daily limit for harvest of game fish from Mercer Bayou (Sulphur River WMA).

(2) BLACK BASS (LARGEMOUTH, SPOTTED, SMALLMOUTH):

(A)Smallmouth bass:

Ozark Zone (Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Newton, Randolph, Searcy, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, and Washington counties) - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 12 inches with a daily limit of four, except Bull Shoals, Beaver, Greers Ferry, Table Rock Lakes and Lake Norfork (see Ex. 1(B) below). Greers Ferry Lake - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 12 inches, daily limit six.

Ozark Zone Blue Ribbon Streams - Crooked Creek from Arkansas Highway 101 bridge downstream to the confluence with the White River; between the U.S. Highway 62-412 and U.S. Highway 62 Spur bridges at Pyatt - smallmouth bass minimum length limit 18 inches, daily limit of one. Buffalo River from confluence with Clabber Creek downstream to the confluence with the White River - smallmouth bass minimum length limit 18 inches, daily limit of one. All other water of Crooked Creek and Buffalo River - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 14 inches, daily limit of two.

Ozark Zone Catch-and-Release Area - Crooked Creek, along boundary of Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation property near Kelley's Slab Access.

Ozark Zone Quality Streams - Kings River from Trigger Gap to U.S. Highway 62 bridge smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 18 inches, daily limit of one.

All other water of the Kings, Illinois, Spring, South Fork of the Spring and Eleven Point rivers and War Eagle Creek - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 14 inches, daily limit of two. Ouachita/Boston Zone (all Arkansas counties not included in the Ozark Zone) - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 10 inches, daily limit of four.

Ouachita/Boston Zone Quality Streams - (Mulberry, Caddo above DeGray Lake, DeGray Lake, Cossatot River, Ouachita River upstream from Lake Ouachita, Ouachita River downstream from Remmel Dam, Saline River, including its four headwater forks in Saline, Perry and Garland counties, South Fork/Ouachita, Little Missouri above Lake Greeson) - smallmouth bass minimum length limit of 12 inches, daily limit of two.

Ouachita/Boston Zone Catch-and-Release Area - all smallmouth bass caught in Lake Ouachita including the Ouachita River upstream to the River Bluff access and the South Fork of the Ouachita River upstream to Hovel Branch must be immediately returned to the stream.

(B)Largemouth bass: Grandview Lake 2 and Lake Sylvia Lake Millwood - daily limit six. Mallard Lake - daily limit one .

Marion McCollum Lake, Lake Sylvia - Largemouth bass caught must be immediately returned to the water.

(C)Black Bass (all species combined):

Beaver, Bull Shoals, DeGray, DeQueen, Norfork, Table Rock lakes, Lake Jack Nolen, Ouachita, Ashbaugh - daily limit six. Lake Lou Emma - daily limit five. Lake Atkins - daily limit four. War Eagle Creek - daily limit two.

(3)BREAM:

No limit on bream 4 inches or shorter.

(4)CATFISH:

(A) No limit on catfish on Grand Lake - Chicot County, Lake Chicot (including that portion of Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou's mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam) and between the main levees of the Mississippi River, from the confluence of the Mississippi/White Rivers upstream to the Benzal Railroad Bridge, and from the confluence of the Mississippi/Arkansas Rivers upstream to the Yancopin Railroad Bridge. No limit on blue and channel catfish from Little River (below Millwood Dam) Red and Sulphur

Rivers. No limit on channel catfish on Marion McCollum Lake Greenlee - Monroe County, and on Lake Chicot (including that portion of Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou's mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam).

(B) Catfish daily limit five on:

DeWitt City Park Lake (Arkansas County); Lake Atalanta (Benton County); Hidden Lake (Carroll County); Big Timber Lake and Gurdon Lake (Clark County); Hubble Lake (Clay County); Lake Bailey (Conway County); Lake Cambadelle and Lake Lou Emma (Crawford County); Marion City Park Lake (Crittenden County); Village Creek State Park Lakes (Cross and St. Francis Counties); Lake Bennett (Faulkner County); Lake Clearfork (Garland County); Crowley Ridge State Park Lake and Reynolds Park Lake (Greene County); Newark City Lake (Independence County); Lake June (Lafayette County); Ward City Park Lake (Lonoke County); Hindsville Lake (Madison County); Blytheville City Park Lake (Mississippi County); Donald Branch Fishing Pond (Monroe County); Lower White Oak Lake (Ouachita County); Lake Sylvia (Perry County); Shady Lake (Polk County); Twin Lakes A and B, Camp Ferncliff (Pulaski County); Old Davidsonville State Park Lake (Randolph County); Forrest City Park Lake (St. Francis County); Truman Baker Lake (Scott County); Cave City's Lakes (Sharp County); Gunner Pool and Hayden Bend Pond (Stone County); Devils Den State Park (Washington County); Spring Lake, Kingfisher, Clubhouse Lakes in Petit Jean WMA (Yell County) and posted USDA Forest Service ponds and lakes.

(C) In addition to daily limit, 10 channel catfish under 16 inches may be taken on the Arkansas River.

(D) In addition to daily limit, 10 channel catfish and 10 blue catfish any size may be taken in Lake Erling and Millwood Lake.

(5)CRAPPIE:

(A) Crappie daily limit - 15 in Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, Norfork reservoirs, Cane Creek Lake (Lincoln County), Gurdon Lake (Clark County) and Dr. Lester Sitzes III Bois d'Arc Lake.

(B) Crappie daily limit - 50 between the main levees of the Mississippi River, from the confluence of the Mississippi/White Rivers upstream to the Benzal Railroad Bridge, from the confluence of the Mississippi/Arkansas Rivers upstream to the Yancopin Railroad Bridge and on Horseshoe Lake (Crittenden County).

(C) Crappie daily limit - 20 in Lake Chicot and Lake Monticello.

(6)WALLEYE:

(A) Beaver Lake and its tributaries; Table Rock Lake and its tributaries to Beaver Dam; Bull Shoals Lake, and Norfork Lake - minimum length limit of 18 inches, daily limit four.

(B) Greers Ferry Lake and its tributaries - protected slot limit of 20-28 inches, daily limit of six (only one of which may be longer than 28 inches).

(C) In compliance with Addendum N1.02 and Code Chapter 28.00.

(7)WHITE BASS, STRIPED BASS, HYBRID STRIPED BASS:

(A) White bass:

Between the main levees of the Mississippi river, from the confluence of the Mississippi and White rivers upstream to the Benzal Railroad Bridge, and from the confluence of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers upstream to the Yancopin Railroad Bridge - daily limit of 50, possession limit of 100. Beaver Lake and its tributaries; lakes Ashbaugh, Sequoyah and Monticello - no limit.

(B) Striped bass and hybrid striped bass (combined): Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes; lakes Maumelle, and Ouachita - daily limit three. Arkansas River and connecting lakes - daily limit 10. Lake Monticello - no limit.

(8)ALLIGATOR GAR:

Alligator gar longer than 36 inches may not be harvested from noon, May 1-noon, July 1, statewide. Alligator Gar Permit is required to harvest alligator gar (Code 26.28).

(9)TROUT (BROOK, BROWN, CUTTHROAT, RAINBOW):

(A)Brown trout:

White River (Bull Shoals Tailwater) and North Fork White River (Norfork Tailwater) - minimum length 24 inches, daily limit one. Spavinaw Creek (Benton County) west of Arkansas Highway 59 and Spring River - minimum length 16 inches, daily limit two. Little Red River (Greers Ferry Tailwater) from Greers Ferry Dam to Arkansas Highway 305 Bridge - protected slot limit of 16-24 inches, daily limit of five (only one of which may be longer than 24 inches).

White River (Beaver Tailwater) from Beaver Dam to boundary signs at Houseman Access - protected slot limit of 13-16 inches, daily limit of five (only one of which may be longer than 16 inches). Little Missouri River, from Narrows Dam to Arkansas Highway 27 Bridge - all brown trout must be released immediately.

(B)Cutthroat trout:

White River (Bull Shoals Lake Tailwater), North Fork White River (Norfork Tailwater), Spavinaw Creek (Benton County) west of Arkansas Highway 59, Spring River - minimum length 16 inches, daily limit of two.

(C)Brook trout:

(D) Rainbow trout:

Lake Atalanta (Benton County) - daily limit five.

All fish measurements must follow procedures listed in Code 01.00-C Length Limit definition.

N1.02LENGTH AND PROTECTED LENGTH LIMITS ON CERTAIN LAKESAND RIVERS

(A)BLACK BASS - It is unlawful to possess black bass as follows:

(1) Largemouth bass less than 12 inches on Lake Frierson.

(2) Spotted bass less than 12 inches on, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock lakes.

(3) All black bass less than 12 inches in Horseshoe Bend Pool on the Strawberry River.

(4) Largemouth and spotted bass less than 13 inches on Lake Ouachita.

(5) Largemouth bass 13-16 inches on lakes Austell (Cross County), Barnett (White County), Brewer, Wilhelmina (Polk County), Bear Creek Lake, Bob Kidd; Lee Creek; Sugar Loaf Lake, and Dierks Reservoir (Howard and Sevier counties).

(6) Largemouth bass less than 13 inches on DeGray Lake and within the boundaries of Felsenthal NWR.

EXCEPTION: No restriction in Woodland Trail Pond - located at the Felsenthal NWR Headquarters on Hwy 82 (Ashley County); Locust Ridge Pond - located at Locust Ridge on Hwy 82 (Union County); Eagle Lake Pond- located north of Eagle Lake on Bradley Road 53 (Bradley County); and Shallow Lake Field Pond located west of Shallow Lake (Union County). Person(s) keeping largemouth bass less than 13 inches from these waters must exit the NWR boundaries immediately upon leaving these ponds and may not enter NWR campgrounds or fish other NWR waters with largemouth bass less than 13 inches from these four ponds in their possession.

(7) Largemouth bass less than 14 inches on the Arkansas River and its tributaries.

(8) Smallmouth bass less than 15 inches on Beaver, Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock lakes.

(9) Largemouth bass less than 15 inches on Beaver Lake, Big Lake NWR, Blue Mountain, Bull Shoals, Georgia Pacific, Greers Ferry, Kingfisher, Norfork, Shady and Table Rock lakes; Caddo Fishing Pond; Upper and Lower Lake Chicot (including Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou's mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam); Lake Greenlee, and Moss Creek Pond.

(10) Black bass greater than 16 inches in Lake Winona.

(11) Largemouth bass 16-21 inches on Lake Atkins. Daily limit four (only one of which may be longer than 21 inches).

(12) Largemouth bass 16-21 inches on Tommy L. Sproles Lake Pickthorne. Daily limit two (only one of which may be longer than 21 inches).

(13) Largemouth bass daily limit ten (only one of which may be longer than 20 inches) on Lake Columbia.

(14) Largemouth bass daily limit 10 (only one of which may be longer than 18 inches) on Lake SWEPCO.

(15) Smallmouth bass less than 18 inches on the lower Little Missouri River from Narrows Dam to its mouth. Daily limit one.

(16) Largemouth bass 14-17 inches on Mallard Lake. Daily limit 10, only one of which may be larger than 17 inches.

(17) Largemouth bass 19-22 inches on Lake Monticello. Daily limit eight, only one of which may be longer than 22 inches.

(18) Largemouth Bass less than 16 inches on Lower White Oak Lake. Daily limit five.

(19) Largemouth bass 15-18 inches on Lower White Oak Lake.

(B)CRAPPIE: It is unlawful to possess crappie as follows:

(1) Less than 10 inches in Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals and Norfork Reservoirs; Cane Creek Lake in Lincoln County; Lake Chicot (including Connerly Bayou downstream from Connerly Dam to the bayou's mouth and Ditch Bayou from the inlet on Lake Chicot to Ditch Bayou Dam); Lake Charles, Lake Conway, Lake Monticello, Lake Overcup, Harris Brake Lake and Lake Atkins.

(2) Less than 9 inches on Blue Mountain Lake.

EXCEPTION:

(1) From December-February, the minimum length limit is waived on Lake Monticello and the harvest is regulated by a 20-fish daily limit. The first 20 crappie caught, regardless of size, must be kept. Culling is not permitted. From March-November, harvest is controlled by a 10-inch minimum length, daily limit of 20.

(C)CATFISH (channel, blue and flathead):

(1) It is unlawful to possess flathead catfish less than 20 inches on the Ouachita River from Sandy Beach Access (Ouachita County) to Remmel Dam.

(D)STRIPED BASS: It is unlawful to possess striped bass less than 20 inches on Lake Norfork and Beaver Lake.

(E)SHOVELNOSE STURGEON: It is unlawful to possess shovelnose sturgeon less than 21 inches. Shovelnose sturgeon may not be taken from the Mississippi River.

EXCEPTION:

(1) Sportfish may be snagged (except in catch-and-release areas) in compliance with Codes 26.05; 26.17 and within the restrictive size limits in this addendum chapter.

002.00.17 Ark. Code R. 004

5/1/2017