By Arkansas Game and Fish Commission 

 

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission plays an important role in keeping the Natural State true to its name. During the last 100 years, the agency has overseen the protection, conservation and preservation of various species of fish and wildlife in Arkansas.

 

An essential part of ensuring healthy wildlife populations involves people. Agency programs geared toward the public generate awareness of ethical and sound management principles. Whether it be educational programs, fishing and hunting regulations or environmental awareness, working with people is just as important a factor in managing wildlife as any other. 

 

The agency wants to help families find a way to connect with each other away from screens and spend more time outdoors together. Below you find a list of activities that AGFC is supporting to provide Arkansans with a way they can connect with wildlife and outdoor pursuits as a family. Get outside and spring into new adventures. 

 

Hit a Local AGFC Honey Hole

 

The AGFC stocks over 45 community ponds across the state for families to enjoy a quick and successful fishing trip. Visit AGFC.com to find a Family and Community Fishing location near you.

Tackle trout fishing.

Tackle Trout Fishing on the Little Red River

 

The Little Red River, emerging icy cold from beneath the massive dam at Greers Ferry Lake, is a premier-class trout stream. Stocked rainbow trout provide the bulk of the Little Red River’s fish population. Brown trout running 5 to 8 pounds are common, and a 20- to 30-pounder is always possible in the river. Full-service marinas, guides and resorts are available along the upper sections of the Little Red and provide a perfect home base for a long weekend trip with the family.  Find a Little Red River resort at Arkansas.com

 

Float Fish a Blue-Ribbon Smallmouth Stream

 

Crooked Creek – a Blue Ribbon Smallmouth Bass Stream – is well known for its feisty smallmouth bass, but it offers much more for visitors seeking solitude, exploration and a float trip down a river. Crooked Creek is an Ozark highland stream that starts south of Harrison and flows 80 miles through the oak-hickory forest, cedar glades and pasture land until it converges with the White River at Cotter.  To help anglers, paddlers and wildlife watchers enjoy this Ozark stream, and the AGFC designated a 22-mile section the Crooked Creek Water Trail in 2012 with five access points. Paddlers also may camp at nearby Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek. Contact the center for information on local canoe rentals and camping options at 870-449-3484.   

Fishing on Lake Hamilton.

Crappie Fishing on Lake Chicot

 

Situated in a grove of majestic wild pecans and ringed with cypress trees standing literally “up to their knees” in water along the nation’s largest natural oxbow remnant, a cutoff of the mighty Mississippi, is Lake Chicot State Park.  At 20 miles long, Lake Chicot is the largest natural lake in Arkansas.  Famous nationwide for its fantastic catches of bream, crappie, bass and catfish, anglers from all over the country come to try their luck among the quiet coves of this bayou-like haven.  Be sure to stay the night in one of the park’s cabins or campsites. Book your stay now at ArkansasStateParks.com  

 

Guided Striper Fishing on Lake Ouachita  

 

Arkansas’ largest lake, Lake Ouachita offers 40,000 acres of clear, clean water surrounded by the scenic Ouachita National Forest. Reeling in a  large striper from Lake Ouachita offers an exciting way for a group of friends to spend a day on the water.  In addition to their large size, stripers are some of the hardest fighting fish that take over half an hour to land. Find an experienced striper guide and nearby accommodations at Lake Ouachita State Park on Arkansas.com

Wildflowers at Grandview Prairie.

Photograph the Native Wildflowers and Birds at Grandview Prairie

 

Just north of the tiny town of Columbus in Hempstead County, Grandview Prairie offers a diverse opportunity for wildlife viewing.  Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Conservation Education Center is comprised of 4,885 acres of open prairie, woodlands, savanna and non-native grasslands. The diversity of habitat types account for the subsequent variety of animals such as songbirds, deer, butterflies, small mammals and reptiles year-round. Facilities also offer visitors an opportunity for recreational shooting, fishing and a chance to study fossil remains from the cretaceous period found on the site. Millwood State Park offers campsites just a short drive away. 

Bird watching at Grandview Prairie Conservation Education Center.