An Arkansas trout permit costs $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. Anglers age 16 or older need it to keep trout anywhere in Arkansas or to fish for trout in designated trout-permit waters, even when they plan to release every fish. The trout permit is an add-on, so most anglers also need a valid Arkansas fishing license.
Last updated: August 11, 2026. Fees and 2026-27 trout regulations were checked against current Arkansas Game and Fish Commission information.
Quick Answer
Arkansas anglers age 16 or older need a trout permit to keep trout anywhere in the state or to fish for trout in designated permit waters. The permit costs $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents, in addition to a valid fishing license. A standard resident annual fishing license plus trout permit totals $20.50; a nonresident one-day license plus trout permit totals $35. Eligible 65-plus residents can buy a $10 lifetime trout permit.
Key Takeaways
- A resident Arkansas trout permit costs $10, while a nonresident permit costs $20.
- The trout permit is an add-on. Most anglers age 16 or older also need the fishing license that matches their residency and trip length.
- You need the permit to keep trout from any Arkansas water or to fish for trout in specifically designated waters.
- A resident annual fishing license and trout permit currently cost $20.50 in total.
- Current harvest, length, bait and tackle rules can differ by water, so check the latest Arkansas Game and Fish Commission regulations before fishing.
At a Glance
| Resident annual + trout | $20.50 total ($10.50 resident fishing license + $10 trout permit) |
| Nonresident 1-day + trout | $35 total ($15 one-day fishing license + $20 trout permit) |
| Permit trigger | Keep trout anywhere, or fish for trout in a designated permit water |
| Base license | Normally required in addition to the trout permit for anglers age 16 or older |
What’s in This Article
- Who Needs an Arkansas Trout Permit?
- Arkansas Resident Trout Permit Cost
- Arkansas Nonresident Trout Permit Cost
- Where to Purchase an Arkansas Trout Permit
- Documents Needed for an Arkansas Trout Permit
- Senior, Disability and Military License Options
- How to Check Current Fees
- Current Arkansas Trout Fishing Regulations
- Trout Fishing Locations in Arkansas
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
- Sources
Who Needs an Arkansas Trout Permit?
Under the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fishing-license rules, anglers age 16 or older must generally carry a valid fishing license when taking or attempting to take fish in Arkansas. A licensed put-and-take pay lake is one listed exception.
An angler age 16 or older must also have a trout permit in either of these situations:
- You plan to keep a trout caught from any Arkansas water.
- You plan to fish for trout in a designated trout-permit water, even if you intend to release every fish.
AGFC currently identifies the following permit waters:
- The tailwater below Beaver Lake
- The White River tailwater below Bull Shoals Lake
- The Norfork tailwater below Norfork Lake
- The Little Red River tailwater below Greers Ferry Lake
- The tailwater below Lake Greeson
- Spavinaw Creek east of Highway 59
You do not need a trout permit simply because trout may be present in a water. The permit trigger depends on your age, whether you retain trout and whether the water is one of the designated locations.
The trout permit is an add-on, not a replacement for your fishing license: $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents.
Arkansas anglers can encounter rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. Tiger trout may also be present in some waters. Bait and tackle rules differ by location, so do not assume that prepared bait, natural bait or barbed hooks are legal everywhere.
Arkansas Resident Trout Permit Cost
The standard Resident Trout Permit costs $10. Most resident anglers age 16 or older must combine it with a valid base fishing license.
The standard resident costs are:
- Resident Fisheries Conservation License: $10.50
- Resident Trout Permit: $10
- Total for both: $20.50
The resident fishing license allows sport fishing in Arkansas waters. The trout permit adds the right to retain trout and to fish for trout in the designated permit waters.
If you only need the base-license breakdown, see Arkansas resident fishing license costs. This page stays focused on the separate trout-permit requirement and trout-specific rules.
Arkansas annual fishing licenses generally expire one year from the purchase date. Check the effective and expiration dates displayed on your license record because different combination, disability and lifetime products can use different periods.
Note: Holders of the nonexpiring $1,000 Lifetime Resident Hunting and Fishing Sportsman’s Permit do not need to buy the standard trout permit separately.
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Arkansas Nonresident Trout Permit Cost
A nonresident trout permit costs $20. Nonresident anglers age 16 or older must add it to an annual or trip fishing license when they keep trout or fish in designated trout-permit waters.
Current common combinations are:
| License option | Base license | Trout permit | Total |
| Nonresident 1-Day Fishing License | $15 | $20 | $35 |
| Nonresident 3-Day Trip Fishing License | $30 | $20 | $50 |
| Nonresident Annual Fishing License | $60 | $20 | $80 |
The one-day license is valid for one specified day. The three-day trip license is valid for 72 hours from the selected start time. Review the effective dates shown during checkout before paying.
For a broader visitor-license comparison, see Arkansas nonresident fishing license costs. Use this trout-permit guide for the separate $20 add-on and trout-water rules.
Note: Buying a longer base license does not remove the trout-permit requirement. The $20 nonresident trout permit is still required when the trout rules apply.
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Where to Purchase an Arkansas Trout Permit
AGFC offers several ways to purchase fishing licenses, permits and stamps. Choose the method that gives you enough time to resolve any residency or eligibility questions before your trip.
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Buy Online
The fastest option for many anglers is the official Arkansas licensing system. You will normally need basic personal information and a payment card.
Select the correct base fishing license first, then add the resident or nonresident trout permit when required. Review the product names, start dates and expiration dates before completing payment.
Buy in Person
Licenses and permits are available through:
- Authorized license dealers
- AGFC regional offices
- Selected AGFC nature centers
- AGFC headquarters in Little Rock
In-person purchasing can help when you need assistance with residency, senior, disability or military eligibility. Call before visiting because product availability and office hours can differ.
Buy by Phone
You can buy licenses, permits and stamps by calling 833-345-0325. AGFC lists regular phone-purchase hours as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Keep your payment card, personal information and any existing license details available. Ask the representative to confirm the product’s effective date and how you should carry proof while fishing.
Pro Tip: Buy before traveling to a remote tailwater. Cell service can be unreliable, and a nearby bait shop may not be open when you arrive.
Documents Needed for an Arkansas Trout Permit
A standard online purchase normally requires your legal name, address, date of birth and payment information. Special license products can require supporting documents.
Depending on the product, you may need:
- Proof of identity and age: A driver’s license, state identification card, birth certificate or military record may be accepted for certain senior products.
- Proof of Arkansas residency: Ordinary resident status generally requires a bona fide Arkansas residence for at least 60 days.
- One-year residency proof: The 65-Plus Lifetime Fishing License and several lifetime military products require one year of Arkansas residency.
- Disability certification: A qualifying resident disability license requires current documentation from an accepted agency.
- Military documentation: Military-retiree and disabled-veteran products require the records listed for that specific license.
Owning property in Arkansas does not automatically make a nonresident eligible for resident license prices. Active-duty service members may qualify for special resident privileges depending on where they are stationed or where they lived when they entered service.
Senior, Disability and Military License Options
Arkansas offers reduced-cost and lifetime products for qualifying residents. These products do not all include trout privileges automatically.
Residents Age 65 or Older
An eligible Arkansas resident can purchase a 65-Plus Lifetime Fishing License for $10.50 and a 65-Plus Lifetime Trout Permit for $10. These products require one year of Arkansas residency.
The two products cost $20.50 in total and are purchased once. A 65-Plus fishing license by itself does not include the lifetime trout permit.
Residents With Qualifying Disabilities
The Resident 3-Year Disability Fishing License currently costs $10.50. It requires proof of a qualifying total and permanent disability and at least 60 days of Arkansas residency. A resident trout permit must still be purchased when the trout rules apply.
A free Mobility-Impaired Access Permit may help an eligible person use designated access routes on certain AGFC properties. It is an access permit and does not replace the fishing license or trout permit.
Military Retirees and Disabled Veterans
Qualifying resident military retirees and disabled veterans can access several reduced-price or lifetime products. Some fishing licenses still require a separate $10 trout permit, while certain combination licenses include trout privileges.
Eligibility can depend on age, disability rating, Purple Heart status, military retirement and length of Arkansas residency. Review the AGFC special-license descriptions before applying.
How to Check Current Fees
As of August 11, 2026, the official resident trout permit is $10 and the nonresident trout permit is $20. Do not rely on an old article, screenshot or social-media post that lists a proposed future price.
Before paying, use the official AGFC fishing-license fee page and confirm all three of these details:
- The exact product name
- The current price
- The effective and expiration dates shown during checkout
Fee proposals can change before final approval. A proposed amount is not the current legal fee unless AGFC has adopted and published it.
2026 access update: Since July 1, 2026, people age 16 or older who use AGFC-owned wildlife management areas or lakes generally need a valid hunting license, fishing license or $10.50 WMA/Lake Conservation Permit. If you already hold a valid Arkansas fishing license, AGFC says you do not need to buy the WMA/Lake Conservation Permit separately.
Note: Do not assume a license or permit is refundable. Contact AGFC promptly at 833-345-0325 if you accidentally purchase the wrong product.
Current Arkansas Trout Fishing Regulations
A trout permit gives you permission to fish where the permit is required. It does not guarantee that a trout can be harvested. Daily limits, minimum or maximum lengths, bait restrictions and catch-and-release areas still apply.
The 2026-27 Arkansas fishing regulations took effect July 1, 2026. AGFC also continues special trout limits first adopted for four major tailwaters in 2026. The following limits remain in effect until further notice:
- Bull Shoals Dam to Norfork Access: Anglers may keep two rainbow trout, and both must be under 14 inches. All other trout must be released.
- Entire Norfork tailwater: Anglers may keep two rainbow trout, and both must be under 14 inches. All other trout must be released.
- Norfork Access to the Arkansas Highway 58 bridge at Guion: Anglers may keep either two rainbow trout under 14 inches, or one rainbow trout under 14 inches plus one of these: a rainbow or brook trout over 14 inches, or a brown, cutthroat or tiger trout over 24 inches.
- Beaver and Greers Ferry tailwaters: The daily limit is two trout, and both must be under 14 inches.
Other waters can have different daily limits, seasonal rules, artificial-lure areas, barbless-hook requirements or catch-and-release zones. Consult the current AGFC fishing regulations for the exact access point you plan to use.
The 2026 Arkansas Free Fishing Weekend ran from noon June 12 through June 14 and has ended. During that officially proclaimed period, fishing-license and trout-permit requirements were waived, but daily limits, length limits and special-area restrictions still applied. Check AGFC for future dates rather than assuming the same weekend each year.
Warning: Fishing in a designated trout water without the required license and permit can result in a citation and other penalties. Carry valid proof and review the current rules before you cast.
Trout Fishing Locations in Arkansas
Many of Arkansas’s best-known trout fisheries are cold tailwaters below large dams. Each water has different access, flows and fishing regulations.
- Bull Shoals Tailwater on the White River: A large and famous trout fishery with rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout.
- Norfork Tailwater: The North Fork of the White River below Norfork Dam offers clear cold water and several regulated trout areas.
- Greers Ferry Tailwater on the Little Red River: Known for brown trout, fly-fishing access and changing generation flows.
- Beaver Tailwater: A popular northwest Arkansas trout fishery below Beaver Dam.
- Spring River: A spring-fed fishery with cold water and public access areas.
- Narrows Tailwater: The Little Missouri River below Lake Greeson supports seasonal and stocked trout fishing.
- Ouachita River tailwaters: Selected cold-water sections offer additional trout opportunities.
The AGFC trout-waters directory provides maps and information for major locations.
Permit-water distinction: AGFC lists more trout fisheries than the six waters that automatically trigger the trout-permit requirement for anglers age 16 or older. For example, Spring River is an AGFC trout water but is not on the current designated permit-water list. There, the trout permit is generally required if you keep trout; in designated permit waters, it is required even for catch-and-release trout fishing.
Prepared trout bait, small spinners, spoons, flies and natural bait can all work where they are legal. Check the exact section before fishing because some catch-and-release areas allow only artificial lures or flies and may require barbless hooks.
Warning: Water levels below dams can rise quickly when generation begins. Never depend only on the level you see when you arrive. Identify an exit route, keep children close and leave the water immediately when it begins rising.
Pro Tip: Check the applicable dam report before wading. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers publishes Little Rock District lake and river reports, and AGFC trout-water pages provide local generation information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fish for other species with a trout permit?
A trout permit does not replace a fishing license. Your base fishing license covers ordinary sport-fishing privileges, while the trout permit adds the privileges required to retain trout or fish in designated trout waters.
How long is an Arkansas trout permit valid?
Use the effective and expiration dates displayed in your AGFC license account or permit record. A 65-Plus Lifetime Trout Permit is a lifetime product. One-day and three-day base fishing licenses remain limited to their stated day or 72-hour period, and your trout permit must be valid while you fish.
Do youth anglers need an Arkansas trout permit?
The general Arkansas fishing-license and trout-permit requirements apply to anglers age 16 or older. Anglers younger than 16 must still follow all daily limits, length limits, tackle rules and restricted-area requirements.
Can I get a refund for an Arkansas trout permit?
Do not assume that a completed license purchase is refundable. If you bought the wrong product or entered the wrong dates, contact AGFC promptly at 833-345-0325 and ask whether your transaction qualifies for correction or other assistance.
What happens if I fish without the required trout permit?
An enforcement officer may issue a citation when an angler fishes in a designated permit water or keeps trout without the required license and permit. Carry valid proof and confirm that your products are active before fishing.
Do I need a trout permit for catch-and-release fishing?
You need a trout permit for catch-and-release fishing when you are age 16 or older and fish for trout in one of Arkansas’s designated permit waters. On other waters, the permit is generally triggered when you retain a trout.
What is the cheapest nonresident option for one day of trout fishing?
The current one-day nonresident fishing license costs $15, and the nonresident trout permit costs $20. The combined total is $35 when the trout permit is required.
Does a senior fishing license include the lifetime trout permit?
No. An eligible resident generally purchases the $10.50 65-Plus Lifetime Fishing License and the separate $10 65-Plus Lifetime Trout Permit. One year of Arkansas residency is required.
Do I need a WMA/Lake Conservation Permit if I already have a fishing license?
No. Since July 1, 2026, AGFC requires people age 16 or older using AGFC-owned wildlife management areas and lakes to have a valid hunting license, fishing license or WMA/Lake Conservation Permit. A valid Arkansas fishing license already includes this access, so license holders do not need the $10.50 WMA/Lake Conservation Permit separately.
Conclusion
An Arkansas trout permit costs $10 for residents and $20 for nonresidents. Anglers age 16 or older need it when they keep trout anywhere in Arkansas or fish for trout in designated permit waters. Most anglers must also carry a valid base fishing license.
Check the product dates during purchase, review the current rules for your exact water and pay special attention to the 2026 tailwater limits that remain in effect until further notice. A valid fishing license also satisfies the new 2026 access requirement for AGFC-owned WMAs and lakes, so licensed anglers do not need the separate WMA/Lake Conservation Permit. When fishing below a dam, check generation conditions and leave the water as soon as levels begin rising.
Sources
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: Fishing License Descriptions and Fees — permit requirements, base-license prices and trout-permit fees.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: Licensing Frequently Asked Questions — age, residency and purchase-channel rules.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: Special and Lifetime Licenses — senior, disability, veteran and military-retiree eligibility.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: 2026-27 Fishing Regulation Changes — current special trout limits effective July 1, 2026.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: Trout Waters — official trout-water locations and access information.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: WMA/Lake Conservation Permit — 2026 access requirement and the exemption for valid hunting or fishing license holders.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District: Daily Reports — lake, river and dam-condition information for tailwater planning.
