Eureka Springs, Arkansas -- Three Arkansas anglers enjoy the thrill of bringing in these spoonbills, catching them below the Beaver Lake tailwater with guide Juan Granados (not pictured) of Hooked on Fishing guide service.
Guide Austin Kennedy also notes in his report this week that spoonbill have come up to spawn lately, and with new areas opened up for snagging, he expects to see some new faces on the river. He suggests for folks without electronics that they get a heavy rod and reel and head below the Beaver Lake Dam for a big time.
Some anglers know these prehistoric-looking fish as spoonbills (by the obvious distinctive bill (actually termed a rostrum), and not to be confused with the duck by the same name), while others refer to them as paddlefish. Either way, there are a few of them in Beaver Lake and the White River above and below it (on a map, that is reversed, but "above" Beaver Lake is actually south toward Fayetteville and "below" it is heading to Missouri, as the White River crosses into the Show Me State before returning home.
Some areas this year will require a permit for fishing for paddlefish, and some areas can be fished without the special permit.
The AGFC this year created a special permit-based Paddlefish Trophy Tag snagging season in the water above Beaver Lake for anglers to reel in the catch of a lifetime. Anglers were able to apply through March 30 for a permit, and the new paddlefish season above the lake is running from April 15-June 15 from Arkansas Highway 45 bridge, also known as the Twin Bridges Access, upstream to Lake Sequoyah Dam. Only 150 permits were issued to Arkansas anglers for this special section of the river.
If you didn't apply or win one of the special permits, don't fret: A second special snagging location was added below Beaver Dam from the Houseman Access on the White River, extending downstream to the Missouri state line (where the anglers in the photo above were fishing). Any angler may fish this section of the river from April 15-June 15 without the need for a special permit.
Also, thanks to the Missouri Department of Conservation, a robust paddlefish population has been maintained in Table Rock Lake, too, and those fish subsequently migrate upstream into Arkansas waters, congregating below Beaver Lake during annual spawning runs.
Historically, snagging opportunities in Arkansas on this portion of the White River system were limited to a 100-yard stretch immediately below Beaver Dam.
Recognizing the growing popularity of this fishery and the potential for increased angling access, the AGFC proposed and adopted a new regulations that established a dedicated paddlefish snagging season below Houseman Access on the White River extending to the Missouri state line.
In the early 1990s, the AGFC initiated a stocking program to establish a source for broodstock of paddlefish in case the native population in the state's rivers saw a decline. Paddlefish are noted for their eggs, which are sold as a less-expensive caviar. Consistent stocking from 1990-2000 laid the foundation for the impressive fishery of paddlefish we see today.
These same paddlefish now range 25-35 years old, are at the end of their life cycle, and represent a unique cohort. Sampling in 2004 revealed a 66-pound paddlefish at 14 years old, showing a remarkable growth rate. A more recent example that indicated their impressive size came in 2023 when a paddlefish that was struck by a boat was estimated to weigh more than 160 pounds.
Anglers fishing the permitted section are required to report a harvested paddlefish via the AGFC's mobile app or by calling the AGFC game check hotline at 833-289-2469. This reporting system will provide real-time data to biologists who are monitoring the population and managing the fishery. Paddlefish of less than 34 inches long (measured from the fish's eye to the fork in the tail) must be released, and anglers may only keep two paddlefish per season on the paddlefish-permit-fishing section of the river; anglers may keep two paddlefish per day on those non-permit-required areas, and they must be 34 inches or more to keep.
The permit section noted is the only location in Arkansas where a special paddlefish permit is required to snag paddlefish; complete rules on snagging are available in the 2025 Arkansas Fishing Guidebook. Click the button below for more paddlefish information.
