Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 002 - Game and Fish Commission
Rule 002.00.01-010 - Paddle fish, Sturgeon, Bowfin Management and Harvest Plan; Choctaw Island WMA Closure; Revision to Code Section 01.00D - Confiscation and Seizure
Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 2, February 2024
(2) Saline River and backwaters from Stillion Railroad Bridge in Ashley and Bradley Counties to State Hwy 4 Bridge in Bradley County closed all year to gill and trammel nets.
Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Cleburne, Cleveland, Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Hot Spring, Howard, Independence, Izard, Logan, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Newton, Perry, Pike, Polk, Pope, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, Stone, Van Buren, Washington and Yell counties. When a river or stream forms the boundary between opened and closed counties, that boundary segment shall be open to tackle legal in the open county, unless closed in other 41.00 and 44.00 codes.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.05 RESIDENT COMMERCIAL FISHING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.
It shall be unlawful to purchase commercial tackle tags or to operate commercial tackle without first obtaining a current Resident Commercial Fishing Permit and Sportfishing License and to fail to furnish a bill of sale with pennit number to fish markets, processors, or retailers for fish or parts thereof sold in each transaction. Said bill of sale shall be retained by the purchaser for a period of twelve (12) months and made available for inspection by a Commission Wildlife Officer. EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
It shall be unlawful to take, sell, or possess paddlefish (also called spoonbill catfish), sturgeon, or bowfin or their parts including eggs (roe) without first obtaining a current Resident Roe Taker/Seller Permit. A commercial fishing license is required to purchase a Resident Roe Taker/Seller Permit.
Exception:
PENALTY: $500 to $1,000 and privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
It shall be unlawfull to buy or export across the stateline paddlefish, sturgeon, or bowfin or their parts including eggs (roe) for without first obtaining a current Resident Roe Buyer/Exporter Permit or Non-Resident Buyer/Exporter Pennit, as applicable. Licensed commercial fishermen who hold current Resident Roe Buyer/Exporter Permit may also take paddlefish, sturgeon, and bowfin in accordance with applicable season, size, and tackle regulations.
Exception:
PENALTY: $500 to $1,000 and privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
PENALTY: $500 to $1,000 and privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
41.06 PURCHASE OF WILD COMMERCIAL FISH RESTRICTIONS. It shall be unlawful for fish markets, processors, or retailers to purchase commercial fish taken from the waters of the state without first obtaining a bill of sale from the seller for each transaction. Said bill of sale must indicate the pennit number of the seller.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $500.00
41.10 COMBINING COMMERCIAL FISHING AND SPORTFISHING PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for a commercial fisherman to sport fish in the same waters where he is engaged in commercial fishing.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.11 POSSESSION OF GAME FISH BY COMMERCIAL FISHERMEN PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for commercial fishermen to possess game fish while engaged in commercial fishing or while possessing commercial tackle or commercial fish.
EXCEPTIONS:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00 and fishing privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
41.12 UNDERSIZED COMMERCIAL FISH PROHIBITED. It shall be unlawful for commercial fishermen to possess catfish or buffalo fish less than 16 inches in length or paddlefish, sturgeon, and bowfin of any size taken from public waters.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00 and fishing privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
41.13 COMMERCIAL FISHING BY NON-RESIDENTS PROHIBITED.
41.27 COMMERCIAL FISHING RESTRICTIONS IN BLUE MOUNTAIN AND NIMROD LAKES. It shall be unlawful to commercial fish in Nimrod Lake other than Noon, October 1 to Noon, March 1 and Blue Mountain Lake other than from Noon, October 1 to Noon, March 1. All common carp caught must be removed from these lakes. Commercial fishermen must register prior to fishing with the local district fisheries biologist and must submit monthly catch records to the local district fisheries biologist by the 15th of the following month. Legal sized gill and trammel nets or larger only.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00 and revocation of commercial fishing privileges in Blue Mountain and Nimrod Lakes for noncompliance with requirements.
41.28 AP&L NUCLEAR POWER PLANT (LAKE DARDANELLE) COMMERCIAL FISHING RESTRICTIONS. It shall be unlawful to fish commercially in the AP&L Nuclear Power Plant discharge bay from November 1 through March 1.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.29 COMMERCIAL FISHING RESTRICTIONS IN POINT REMOVE AND CADRON CREEKS. It shall be unlawful to use gill or trammel nets with a square bar mesh less than three and one-half (3 1/2) inches nor hoop nets with a square bar mesh less than two and one-half (2 1/2) inches during the commercial fishing season beginning noon September 30 to noon May 1 on the following creeks:
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.30 PADDLEFISH POSSESSION RESTRICTIONS ON BORDER WATERS.
It shall be unlawful to commercially take or possess paddlefish, also called spoonbill catfish, or possess paddlefish parts including egg on that part of the White River, from Hwy 67 bridge at Newport, upstream to Dam 1 at Batesville from January 1 through May 31; and on the following border waters with Louisiana from November 1 through April 30: Red River in Hempstead, Lafayette, Little River, and Miller counties; Ouachita River from the Louisiana State Line to 100 yards below Felsenthal Lock and Dam; Bayou Bartholomew from the Louisiana state line to its source in Jefferson County; Bodcau Bayou from the Louisiana state line to the base of Lake Eriing Dam; Boeuf River from the Louisiana state line to its source in Chicot County; and Bayou Macon from the Louisiana state line to its source in Desha County.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.38 HARVEST RESTRICTION OF STURGEON IN MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
It shall be unlawful to commercially take or possess sturgeon from the Mississippi River, including the Arkansas River to Dam #2 and the White River to Montgomery Point Lock and Dam.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
41.39 CLOSED PADDLEFISH STURGEON, AND BOWFIN HARVEST SEASON
It shall be unlawful to take or possess paddlefish (also called spoonbill catfish), sturgeon, or bowfin, or their parts including eggs (roe) during the period of noon May 1 to noon, November 1.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $500 to $1,000 and privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.
Section 42.00 Fish Farmer Regulations
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
It shall be unlawful to operate a lake as a fish farm without having adequate control structures to prevent the inflow of water from adjacent streams, creeks, bayous, or rivers and without first removing all wild fish present in compliance with a plan submitted by the applicant and approved by the Chief of Fisheries.
PENALTY: $100.00 to $1,000.00.
EXCEPTION:
PENALTY: $350.00 to $1,000.00.
It shall be unlawful for a fish farmer to sell or buy paddlefish (also called spoonbill catfish), sturgeon, or bowfin or their parts including eggs (roe) without first obtaining a Resident Roe Taker/Seller Permit, Resident Roe Buyer/Exporter Permit, or a Non-Resident Roe Buyer Permit as applicable in accordance with Code 41.05. Fish farmers in possession of a Resident Roe Buyer/Exporter Permit, or a Non-Resident Roe Buyer Pemriit will be required to follow the reporting requirements as stated in Code 41.05.
PENALTY: $500 to $1,000 and privileges may be suspended in accordance with Code 11.05, Revocation of Privileges.