Commission approves emergency order for trout tailwaters, limits temporarily curtailed
https://www.agfc.com/news/commission-approves-emergency-order-for-trout-tailwaters-limits-temporarily-curtailed/
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved an emergency order Oct. 16 that will temporarily cut back the daily trout possession limit in the state's four most significant, economically important coldwater fisheries due to reduced production capacity at the Norfork National Fish Hatchery.
A loss of trout in the millions resulting from recent poor water quality at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-operated Norfork hatchery, combined with the early April flood on the Spring River and significant damage to the AGFC's Jim Hinkle State Fish Hatchery, raised a red flag about whether there would be enough stocked trout available for the four coldwater fisheries in the coming months.
The AGFC will likely skip or drastically reduce stocking for most of 2026, focusing on rebuilding brood stock first. They'll prioritize large, high-impact tailwaters (White, Norfork, Little Red) before smaller ones like Narrows. I hope I am wrong, but we may not see trout stocking in the Lil Mo for another 12-18 months.