A stocked trout fishery is only as good as its stocking source. And on a handful of key trout rivers in Arkansas, ongoing problems with hatcheries have led officials to curtail fishing limits.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to approve an emergency order on the state’s four best stretches of trout water: the White River, the Norfork River, the Little Red River, and the Upper White River. These are all tailwaters, fed by coldwater releases from large reservoirs, and they’re well known by anglers throughout the South. Especially the White River below Bull Shoals Dam, which consistently produces some of the biggest browns in the country.
Under the emergency order that went into effect immediately, trout limits have either been cut back or suspended altogether — meaning some of these stretches are now entirely catch-and-release. The order will be in effect for the next 120 days, and officials say they could extend it for another 120 days if necessary.
“I just stress to the public that this is a temporary thing,” AGFC trout management program coordinator Christy Graham said in a news release. “We do not have any intention for this to a be long-term change to the regulations and the fishery. But it would be the protective thing to do right now.”
This restrictive approach was spurred by ongoing issues with two of Arkansas’ most important fish hatcheries: the Jim Hinkle State Fish Hatchery and the Norfork National Fish Hatchery, which also happens to be the largest coldwater fish hatchery in the U.S. In a typical year, Norfork produces more than 3 million rainbow trout, and together, the two hatcheries play a key role in supplementing fish populations and allowing for liberal trout harvests.
Officials say flooding in April caused significant damage to the Jim Hinkle Hatchery, which is currently operating at only 50 percent capacity. The Norfork Hatchery, meanwhile, is suffering from water quality problems. Between the two facilities, they’ve lost millions of trout this year.
“They started out losing 1,000 fish a day,” Graham said, “and then it was tens of thousands a day.”
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Graham added that by December, they might not have any trout to stock for the foreseeable future, which is why they’re protecting the fish that are already in the rivers. Most locals have supported this approach as well, according to AGFC, since these rivers are huge economic drivers for surrounding communities.
“The biggest risk is the economic impact,” said Rob Finley, AGFC vice chairman. “[But] you’re going into the slowest season for resorts up there … You don’t see predominantly large families coming in 28- to 30-degree weather to catch five 12-inch rainbows.”
The new emergency regulations are as follows:
- The White River, from Bull Shoals Dam to the North Fork confluence, is now fully catch-and-release
- The Norfork River below Norfork Dam is now fully catch-and-release
- The White River below the North Fork confluence is now a 2-trout limit, with one over 14”
- The Upper White River below Beavers Dam is now a 2-trout limit, all under 14”
- The Little Red River below Greers Ferry is now a 2-trout limit, all under 14”
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