The best big river in southwest Arkansas is the Red River, an outstanding catfish stream overlooked by many Arkansas cat fans. This murky, sand-laden river is no raging beauty, but plenty of nice channel and flathead catfish lurk in its depths. Channel catfish from 2 to 5 pounds are abundant. Flatheads average around 4 to 5 pounds, but trotliners often take larger ones. Two good catfishing spots are the area just upstream of the U.S. Highway 71 bridge about 10 miles north of Texarkana, and upstream of the point where the Red and Little Rivers join, about 12 miles downstream from the U.S. Highway 71 bridge.

All of the state's other big bottomland rivers rank high for catting as well. Some you should try include the L'Anguille below Cherry Valley, and the lower Ouachita and Saline, two dark horses in the south-central portion of the state.

AGFC LAKES
At 6,700 acres, Conway is the largest Arkansas Game and Fish Commission lake, serving up the best catfishing in this classification. This stump-filled body of water ranks high on the list of the nation's best flathead catfish waters, producing numerous 40-pound-plus fish annually, and you'll look long and hard to find a lake in Arkansas that harbors such a healthy population of giant channel cats. Blues are here, too, albeit in smaller numbers and sizes.

Lake Poinsett near Harrisburg is a sleeper for channel cats. Numerous 20-pound-plus fish have been taken here, and because catfishing pressure remains relatively light and stocking levels relatively high, there's no reason to believe the action will taper off. Center your catfishing efforts close to the old Dismal Creek channel and deep water near the dam early and late in the day and at night.

White Oak Lake near Camden is another trophy channel cat hotspot, and although it's been decades since this body of water produced a 22-pound-plus former state record, channel cats that size and bigger have surfaced here in recent years, increasing speculation that some savvy angler may land a fish bigger than the current 38-pound record from Lake Ouachita. Fishing near water-control structures adjacent the spillway that separates upper and lower lakes is the ticket to success, say locals.

CORPS OF ENGINEERS IMPOUNDMENTS
Because of their large sizes, the state's 16 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundments all have the potential to produce giant catfish, and most of them do so fairly regularly.

Millwood Lake near Ashdown in the state's southwest corner is among the most consistent producers of big flatheads, which thrive in this shallow, timber-filled environment. And several years back, the Little River below the lake produced a 100-pound-plus blue cat.

Lake Ouachita gave up the current 38-pound record channel cat, and there's little doubt it could harbor even larger fish. This 40,000-acre reservoir also may be the most overlooked body of water in the state for trophy-class blue cats, which frequently exceed 50 pounds.

Lakes Ozark and Dardanelle, two Arkansas River impoundments, both have produced record blues and flatheads, and the trophy potential of these waters is highly underrated. There's little doubt that enormous fish of both species swim these waters, and sooner or later some savvy cat man is going to put a 100-pound-class fish, maybe even a new world record, on the dry side of a boat. As mentioned earlier, the tailwater areas of these lakes offer the best chances for trophy cats.

The deep Ozark lakes such as Bull Shoals, Beaver and Norfork haven't garnered a lot of attention from Arkansas catfishing aficionados, because they're difficult to fish. But it's for that same reason that their trophy potential is high.