RareIntroducedSecure
7
Striped Bass
Morone saxatilis · Moronidae
The saltwater fish that forgot to leave.
Common
20–36 in
Max
50+ in
Weight
Up to 50+ lbs
Best Bite Windows
When striped bass feeds · time-of-day read
Right now · 12:00 PM · MIDD window
DORMANT30%feeding activity
Off-peak · slow near cover
24-hour bite curvetaller = more feeding · scrub the clock
12a6a12p6p12a
DAWN
83
MORN
64
MIDD
34
AFTE
63
DUSK
72
NIGH
65
First & last light · topwater blitzes
Solar + LunarMED-HIGH lunar pull
Major feeds7:48p – 9:48p5:13a – 7:13a
Minor feeds5:32a – 6:32a7:58p – 8:58p
Solunar window 8:03p – 9:33p
Full Moon
Day · Follow shad schools on main lake humps and channel edges. Electronics key — mark bait, fish directly below.
Night · Surface-feeding blitzes on shad under Full Moon. White swimbaits or topwater poppers over open water.
Tailwater · Cannot reproduce in Arkansas — AGFC-stocked. Lunar influence is feeding-only, not spawn-driven.
Habitat
ReservoirsTailwaters
Range
Large reservoirs — Beaver, Ouachita, Norfork.
Diet
Threadfin & gizzard shad. Almost exclusively.
Best baits & lures
Live shad
Big topwater
Flutter spoons
Ready-to-fish boxes for Striped Bass
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Tale Waters & Tides
The home water for Arkansas anglers
Pocket Fishing Guide is powered by Tale Waters & Tides — gear, guides, and the stories behind the water. Plan your next trip with us.
How to fish it · techniques
Find the thermocline
Match shad size exactly
Dawn topwater
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Rileys White & Buffalo Outfitter
Your White & Buffalo River outfitter
Guided float trips, canoe & kayak rentals, and riverside cabins on the White and Buffalo rivers.
Fun fact
Stripers need oxygenated cold water to survive July in Arkansas. In bad summers they stack up below dam tailraces — the only place they can breathe.
Status
Secure
Introduced · Moronidae
Regulations
Statewide Striped Bass Regulations — Arkansas · Statewide — all public waters in Arkansas
18″ min length2 per day
AGFC regulations Always confirm current size & daily limits with AGFC before keeping fish.