2026 regulation year
Kings River 2026 — Arkansas Fishing Regulations
Arkansas statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Kings River carries 3 special-regulation overlays on top of Arkansas's 2026 fishing rules — covering Smallmouth bass, Walleye. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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State-level special regulation
Ozark Zone Quality Stream (Carroll / Madison counties). Smallmouth bass 2 / day, 14 in min; from Trigger Gap to the Highway 62 bridge smallmouth 1 / day, 18 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT. Walleye 18 in min, 4 / day. Spring float-fishing destination
Source: Arkansas special-water list
Per-species rules on Kings River
2 / day, 14 in min; 1 / day + 18 in from Trigger Gap to Hwy 62 (Ozark Zone Quality Stream)
18 in min, 4 / day (Ozark Zone Quality Stream)
Official source
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) publishes the authoritative 2026 Arkansas fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Arkansas fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's emergency-order feed — check it before any Arkansas trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Arkansas
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Kings River?
- Kings River carries 3 special-regulation overlays that override Arkansas' statewide 2026 rules, covering Smallmouth bass and Walleye. One of them reads: "Ozark Zone Quality Stream (Carroll / Madison counties). Smallmouth bass 2 / day, 14 in min; from Trigger Gap to the Highway 62 bridge smallmouth 1 / day, 18 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT. Walleye 18 in min, 4 / day. Spring float-fishing destination." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Kings River?
- Yes. Kings River is in Arkansas, so a valid Arkansas fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Kings River; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Arkansas rules.
- Do Kings River's special rules replace Arkansas' statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Arkansas' statewide 2026 regulations apply on Kings River by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rules for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Kings River?
- Smallmouth bass and Walleye have a water-body-specific rule on Kings River, each linking to its full Arkansas regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Arkansas limits.