Trophy Pond in Arkansas
Lake management and construction in eastern Arkansas
Every service we offer runs in eastern Arkansas, and we travel anywhere in the state for lakes over ten acres. Walt Foreman is a fisheries biologist and a licensed general contractor with a heavy excavation endorsement.
1Arkansas
A biologist on the boat
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension notes that few local providers offer electrofishing surveys in Arkansas. We bring the boat, the crew and 27 years of hands-on experience to the lake.
For a new or renovated Arkansas pond, UAPB recommends bluegill, redear and forage fish in the fall of the first year and largemouth bass the next spring, at about 50 bass to 500 bluegill fingerlings per surface acre (UAPB Extension). We set the species, numbers and timing for your water after we have seen it.
Arkansas landowners may stock farm-raised species from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's approved list without a permit, bought from sources the Commission has permitted (AGFC rule J1.03). We confirm both with you before any fish are delivered.
2Services in Arkansas
What we do in Arkansas
Lake management and lake and pond construction have their own Arkansas pages.
3Results
Results in the water closest to Arkansas
We have no published Arkansas case study yet. Our nearest results are in west Tennessee, just across the Mississippi River: two 12‑acre ponds produced an 8.25‑pound largemouth 14 months in, and a seven-acre pond we stocked new in 2016 grew coppernose bluegill estimated at two and a half to three pounds by 2019.
4Rules and permits
Arkansas rules that shape a lake
General information, not legal advice. The agencies make the final call, and we review your site against the rules before work starts.
| Where | What can apply |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | A dam 25 feet or taller, or one holding 50 acre-feet or more at normal pool, needs a construction and operation permit from the Dam Safety Section of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. A smaller dam can be brought under the rules after a petition and a public hearing if it threatens life or property downstream (UAPB Extension). |
| Every state | Section 404 of the Clean Water Act covers filling streams and wetlands. Farm and stock ponds are on the EPA exemption list, with exceptions, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decides whether a site is a regulated water. Nobody should tell you your lake is exempt before that check. |
Grass carp: Certified triploids only. Arkansas allows only grass carp certified as triploid by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in privately owned lakes and ponds (AGFC rule J1.03).
Questions
Arkansas pond and lake questions
Do you work in Arkansas?
Yes. Every service we offer runs in eastern Arkansas, from lake management and electrofishing surveys to lake and pond construction. Elsewhere in Arkansas we take on lakes over ten acres, and lake construction on any lake larger than ten acres.
Can I stock any fish I want in an Arkansas pond?
No. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission keeps an approved list of farm-raised species that landowners may stock without a permit, bought from sources it has permitted. Bluegill, redear sunfish and largemouth bass are on it, and grass carp only as certified triploids.
When should a new Arkansas pond be stocked?
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Extension recommends bluegill, redear and forage fish in the fall of the first year, and largemouth bass the following spring. We set the order and timing for yours.
Own water in Arkansas?
Tell us what you want to catch in five years.
Or call (931) 374-0536