When is blue catfish season in Arkansas?

Arkansas keeps blue catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.

What size blue catfish can you keep in Arkansas?

The Arkansas size rule for blue catfish is No statewide minimum size. Trophy rule: AR state-record blue catfish 116 lb 12 oz — Mississippi River, August 3 2001, Charles Ashley Jr. The lower Mississippi River boundary + the Arkansas, Red and lower White rivers are the premier trophy-blue waters, with reservoir blues in Lake Ouachita + Lake Hamilton + Lake DeGray + Lake Erling..

Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Arkansas?

Yes. Arkansas requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Arkansas license — compare resident and non-resident Arkansas fees on the state regulations page below.

Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Arkansas?

Yes. In Arkansas, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, limblines, juglines and yo-yos permitted for catfish under AGFC labeling rules; Hogging (noodling / hand-grabbing) for catfish permitted on the Mississippi River May 1 – July 15; Combined catfish daily limit (channel + blue + flathead) = 10 / day statewide; no statewide minimum size; AGFC Fisheries Conservation Licence required ages 16+ ($11 res / $50 NR annual); Confirm current-year AGFC Fishing Regulations for the no-limit and special-water list.

Do specific Arkansas waters have different blue catfish rules?

Yes. 6 named Arkansas waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Mississippi River, Arkansas River, Little River (below Millwood), and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Arkansas Blue catfish 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Ictalurus furcatus

Last updated June 8, 2026

Arkansas blue catfish are a big-river trophy fishery — the lower Mississippi River boundary (along the AR/MS + AR/TN reciprocal compact), the Arkansas River navigation pools (McClellan-Kerr system), the Red River + Sulphur River + Little River in the southwest, and the lower White River all grow blues into the 50-to-100-pound class, with reservoir populations in Lake Ouachita, Lake Hamilton, Lake DeGray, Lake Erling and Millwood Lake. The AR state-record blue catfish weighed 116 lb 12 oz, caught from the Mississippi River on August 3, 2001 by Charles Ashley Jr. AGFC manages all three big catfish (channel, blue and flathead) under a single combined statewide daily limit of 10 fish with no statewide minimum size — but several big-river waters carry no catfish limit at all (the Mississippi River and Grand Lake have no limit on any catfish; the Little River below Millwood Dam, the Red River, and the Sulphur River have no limit on blue or channel catfish), and on the Arkansas River 10 additional channel catfish may be taken beyond the combined limit. Possession is triple the daily limit.

Compare blue catfish regulations across all states →

Get change alerts

Watch Arkansas Blue catfish and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.

Season

Open year-round Open year-round statewide. Daily limit: 10 catfish per day combined across channel, blue and flathead, with no statewide minimum size. No limit on catfish on the Mississippi River + Grand Lake; no limit on blue (and channel) catfish on the Little River (below Millwood Dam), Red River and Sulphur River.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 10 / day combined across channel + blue + flathead catfish statewide; no limit on the Mississippi River + Grand Lake; no limit on blue + channel catfish on the Little River (below Millwood Dam), Red River and Sulphur River
Possession: Triple the daily limit in possession

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: No statewide minimum size
Trophy rule: AR state-record blue catfish 116 lb 12 oz — Mississippi River, August 3 2001, Charles Ashley Jr. The lower Mississippi River boundary + the Arkansas, Red and lower White rivers are the premier trophy-blue waters, with reservoir blues in Lake Ouachita + Lake Hamilton + Lake DeGray + Lake Erling.

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trotlines, limblines, juglines and yo-yos permitted for catfish under AGFC labeling rules
Hogging (noodling / hand-grabbing) for catfish permitted on the Mississippi River May 1 – July 15
Combined catfish daily limit (channel + blue + flathead) = 10 / day statewide; no statewide minimum size
AGFC Fisheries Conservation Licence required ages 16+ ($11 res / $50 NR annual)
Confirm current-year AGFC Fishing Regulations for the no-limit and special-water list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Arkansas waters:

Mississippi River main stem
No limit on catfish; AR state-record blue catfish 116 lb 12 oz (Aug 3 2001); AR/MS/TN reciprocal compact
Arkansas River
10 / day combined catfish + 10 additional channel catfish; no limit from the confluence to the Yancopin bridge
Little River (below Millwood Dam)
No limit on blue + channel catfish
Red River
No limit on blue + channel catfish
Sulphur River
No limit on blue + channel catfish
Lake Erling
10 blue catfish in addition to the combined catfish daily limit; no limit on channel catfish

Official source

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) publishes the authoritative 2026 Arkansasfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.

The blue catfish rules on this page are sourced from Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC)'s official blue catfish regulation page.

Visit official Arkansas fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Blue catfish closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's emergency-order feed — check it before any Arkansas trip during the active season.

Frequently asked questions

When is blue catfish season in Arkansas?: Arkansas keeps blue catfish open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
What is the Arkansas bag limit for blue catfish?: The Arkansas daily bag limit for blue catfish is 10 / day combined across channel + blue + flathead catfish statewide; no limit on the Mississippi River + Grand Lake; no limit on blue + channel catfish on the Little River (below Millwood Dam), Red River and Sulphur River. The possession limit is Triple the daily limit in possession. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size blue catfish can you keep in Arkansas?: The Arkansas size rule for blue catfish is No statewide minimum size. Trophy rule: AR state-record blue catfish 116 lb 12 oz — Mississippi River, August 3 2001, Charles Ashley Jr. The lower Mississippi River boundary + the Arkansas, Red and lower White rivers are the premier trophy-blue waters, with reservoir blues in Lake Ouachita + Lake Hamilton + Lake DeGray + Lake Erling..
Do you need a license to fish for blue catfish in Arkansas?: Yes. Arkansas requires a valid fishing license to fish for blue catfish, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Arkansas license — compare resident and non-resident Arkansas fees on the state regulations page below.
Are there gear restrictions for blue catfish in Arkansas?: Yes. In Arkansas, blue catfish fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trotlines, limblines, juglines and yo-yos permitted for catfish under AGFC labeling rules; Hogging (noodling / hand-grabbing) for catfish permitted on the Mississippi River May 1 – July 15; Combined catfish daily limit (channel + blue + flathead) = 10 / day statewide; no statewide minimum size; AGFC Fisheries Conservation Licence required ages 16+ ($11 res / $50 NR annual); Confirm current-year AGFC Fishing Regulations for the no-limit and special-water list.
Do specific Arkansas waters have different blue catfish rules?: Yes. 6 named Arkansas waters carry rules that override the statewide blue catfish regulation, including Mississippi River, Arkansas River, Little River (below Millwood), and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

← Back to Arkansas regulations overview