The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) has issued new black bass regulations for Norfork Lake in 2023.
Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass must now be 13 inches or longer to keep. There is no length limit for Spotted Bass. The combined daily black bass creel remains six black bass, of any combination, per day.
In the early 1990’s, biologists were troubled by Norfork Lake’s declining Largemouth Bass population. At the time, biologists characterized the population as having low abundance due to multiple years of poor reproduction and survival of offspring as the result of an extended period of average to low water levels. In response, the AGFC adopted a 15-inch minimum length limit for Largemouth Bass on Norfork Lake in 1992. During the last decade, the increased frequency of high water has resulted in the population surging.
Results from a two-week online questionnaire conducted in 2021, indicated anglers were not satisfied with the size of the black bass they were catching on the lake. Anglers indicated a willingness to harvest smaller Largemouth and Spotted Bass if given the opportunity and results suggested lowering the regulations would allow anglers to harvest the abundant smaller Largemouth and Spotted Bass, improve the growth rate of the remaining Largemouth and Spotted Bass, while having minimal impact on the Smallmouth Bass population.
AGFC expects Norfork Lake to support a robust black bass fishery that meets angler expectations, with a balanced population of various sizes and moderate to fast growth. Continuos monitoring of the black bass populations will occur to ensure the new regulations work as intended and will adjust as needed.
Bull Shoals or Greers Ferry Lakes have no black bass regulation changes for 2023.
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