By Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission routinely stocks the trout water areas in north Arkansas on a monthly basis throughout the year. These areas include:

• The White River (1,471,450 fish)
• The Norfork tailwater (164,590 fish)
• Spring River (143,900 fish)
• The Beaver Dam tailwaters (204,090 fish)
• The Little Red River (436,600 fish).

Approximately 91 percent of the trout-fishing activities in Arkansas takes place on these five areas.

The annual stocking allotments for these areas are based upon angler usage, habitat availability and seasonal fishing measure trends. The stocking allotment percentage for each of these areas were derived from past trout-angler surveys and special creel surveys that have been conducted on various areas.

Trout are stocked routinely during each month at all public access sites, and a portion
of these fish are distributed using a special stocking raft. Because these areas support
trout fishing year-round, and for the number of fish stocked, specific stocking dates are not published. Stocking activities during the month can be influenced by the workload at the state and federal hatcheries, vehicle and equipment problems and even weather conditions. It also is the desire of the trout anglers in Arkansas that specific stocking dates not be published or broadcast.

Special stockings of brown, cutthroat and brook trout are made annually and are usually
done in the winter when fishing pressure is the lowest. These fish normally are distributed
in remote areas in an effort to promote growth and reduce angling mortality.

Special fishing regulations are designed to protect these species of hatchery-reared fish for at least two years, and wild spawned fish for three years. This would give a mature female brown trout this opportunity to spawn at least once (16-inch minimum length) before being caught.

Approximately 60 percent of the brown trout in the White River are a direct result of natural reproduction. Cutthroat and brooks have yet to show evidence of natural reproduction.