Book Your Fishing Charter in Hot Springs, AR

Enjoy a classic American tourist experience in the country's first resort destination, Hot Springs. This historic city, sitting on the edge of the Ouachita Mountain over 50 miles outside Little Rock, remains a premier vacation spot known for its healing hot spring waters, fantastic tourist amenities, and vibrant arts and culture scene.

To glimpse the city’s past as a bonafide natural destination, walk along Central Avenue and Bathhouse Row. Testaments to Hot Springs’ heritage still stand on these roads today, preserved in all their stunning glory. 

Apart from having legendary healing properties, the waters of Hot Springs offer ample opportunities for catching fish. You will find beautiful lakes and reservoirs throughout the city, many of which are home to healthy bass populations and other freshwater favorites.

Hot Springs Fishing: Top-Tier Bass Fishing in a Classic Tourist Destination

Anglers eager to take on some year-round bass fishing will love Hot Springs. The city is home to some of the most productive freshwater lakes and reservoirs in all of Arkansas, where there’s always fish biting no matter the season.

The Ouachita River system feeds three of Hot Springs’ premier lakes. The most popular one, Lake Hamilton, outnumbers the fish-per-acre count of every lake in the state. While its largemouth and striped bass are its most famous fishery, it likewise holds many other species that are well worth your bucket. They include crappie, walleye, spotted bass, white bass, bluegill, channel catfish, blue catfish, and yellow bass.

Of the three Ouachita River system lakes, Lake Catherine may be the smallest. That being said, it still holds its own as a thriving fishing reservoir. Home to healthy populations of largemouth bass, spotted bass, striped bass, crappie, catfish, walleye, and bluegill, it is best accessed within the beautiful Lake Catherine State Park, which offers a full-service marina during summer and boat rentals throughout the year.

Consistently included in the best bass fishing waters, Lake Ouachita is the biggest lake in the state and the cleanest in the entire country. The lake is well-known for its largemouth bass fishing, but it also has striped bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, and crappie. There are two ways to get to the lake: camping on one of the many uninhabited islands surrounding it or visiting Lake Ouachita State Park on the lake's eastern shore.

If you're looking for a different challenge, head to the lakes' tailwaters, where you can go fly fishing for stocked rainbow trout.

You will find another bass fishing haven less than an hour from Hot Springs. DeGray Lake is popular for its hybrid striped and largemouth bass and is best fished from the state park boat pier.

Immerse in the Unique Culture of Hot Springs

1. Party It Up in the City’s Annual Festivals

Hot Springs is a thriving arts and culture city that loves its festivals. Visit any time of year and get swept up in these popular events like the Valley of the Vapors Music Festival, the World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and the Ouachita Jeep Jamboree.

2. Join the Quirkiest Alternate Reality Game

Hosted by the Hot Springs Technology Institute, Midnight Madness is an annual alternate reality game that attracts over a thousand participants in June. It’s a game that may last several hours, racing all over the city, searching for clues, solving puzzles, and partaking in different physical challenges.