Close up of a trout fish

Trout Limit in Arkansas

The daily limit for harvesting trout in Arkansas is five fish with no more than two from each of the following species: cutthroat, brown, and brook. The daily limit encompasses any combination of the available trout species to catch which includes brook, brown, rainbow, and cutthroat.

Arkansas Fishing Regulations 2022

All anglers older than fifteen years of age fishing for trout in Arkansas state waters must possess a valid Arkansas fishing license and a trout permit. Trout parts cannot be used as bait. Chumming is illegal in trout waters. And lastly, Culling of trout is not allowed; all harvested trout must be kept and not thrown back.

For more information on fishing regulations, check out the official website.

Arkansas Fishing Size Limits

Although there are no statewide trout size limits for Arkansas, there are special regulations for certain bodies of water that do impose protected slot length restrictions. For most of these areas, the prohibited harvesting length is between thirteen and sixteen inches. For details on specific areas, check out the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission’s Trout Guidebook.

Arkansas Rainbow Trout Size Limit

Rainbow Trout in Clear Water

As with the other trout species found in Arkansas waters, there is no statewide length limit for rainbow trout. Certain bodies of water impose a protected length limit which rainbow trout of that size cannot be caught. For a full list of those waters refer to the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission’s Trout Guidebook.

White River Limits

The daily limit for trout caught on the White River is five fish like the state limit. Rainbow trout do not have a length limit. Any combination of the four trout species may be kept as long as there is a maximum of:

  • only one cutthroat measuring longer than sixteen inches
  • one brown trout measuring longer than twenty-four inches
  • one brook trout measuring longer than fourteen inches

For fishing the White River, check out our ultimate guide.