Table Rock spotted bass change
A new length limit on spotted bass at Table Rock Lake has been set by the Missouri Department of Conservation. The new minimum length limit on spotted bass will be 12 inches effective April 30. It is currently 15 inches. The minimum length limits for largemouth and smallmouth bass will remain 15 inches. The current daily limit is six bass per day.
Walk explores Siloam Springs
Ozark Hill Hikers invites all walkers to join a walk Wednesday in Siloam Springs. Registration is 12:30 to 1 p.m. at the Phillips 66 convenience store, 1295 N. Mt. Olive St., in Siloam Springs. The walk will start and end at Bob Henry Park where participants will choose a 5- or 10-kilometer route.
The walks follow Dogwood Springs greenway trail that meanders along Sager Creek, past John Brown University and through the historic downtown district. There is a fee of $4 for all walkers.
Membership in the Ozark Hill Hikers is $12 per year prorated $1 for each month remaining in the calendar year. For more information, email [email protected] or call (479) 381-9366.
Hike at waterfall, lake
Hill ‘N Dale Hiking Club will hike 1.5 miles Thursday at Sweden Creek Falls Natural Area east of Kingston. The club will hike 4.4 miles March 2 around Lake Alma. All hikers are welcome. Interested hikers may email [email protected] for more details. Club information is available at bvhikingclub.com.
Go online to volunteer
The Ozark Natural Science Center online volunteer orientation is now live. A wide range of volunteer opportunities are available, from trail work and campus projects to program support and special events. Volunteers complete the online orientation, fill out the volunteer agreement form and list where your passions and skills shine. Visit www.onsc.us/volunteer to begin.
Burns planned at Buffalo
A large portion of the Lower Buffalo Wilderness will be closed to horse and foot traffic through March 23 for public safety while the National Park Service conducts prescribed burns. The river corridor will remain open for floating. Camping on gravel bars will be allowed.
The burns will take place on 11,284 acres of public land within the Lower Buffalo Wilderness. Actual ignition dates depend on weather conditions. It is expected to take eight to 12 days to complete the burns. The closure will be lifted as soon as the burns are complete and the area is determined to be safe.
Purpose of the prescribed burn is to restore and maintain fire as a natural ecological process, and reduce buildup of dead and down fuels to lower the risk of a catastrophic wildfire.
Bass Pro now hiring
Bass Pro Shops is looking to hire 150 full- and part-time workers across all departments for its new store that will open in Fort Smith this year. The retailer will host a hiring event at Freedom Farms in Barling, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 4-5.
Applicants are encouraged to apply in advance at basspro.com/careers and select the Fort Smith location. Online applicants then should attend the hiring event where on-site interviews will take place.
Help with park field trips
Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area seeks volunteers to help conduct kindergarten through sixth grade field trips this spring at the park visitor center. All training, materials and support are provided. Volunteers choose the topics they’d like to teach, including wildlife and nature education, leading short nature hikes or reading to students.
Volunteers commit to four hours per session anytime Tuesday through Friday mornings. March field trips are covered, but help is needed during April and May. Contact Carla Berg, Hobbs volunteer coordinator, at (479) 789-5009 or [email protected] for details or to volunteer.
New series sets schedule
The new Beaver Lake Elite Series team series will host four qualifier bass tournaments and a two-day championship. Qualifier tournaments are March 21, April 25, May 16 and June 16. The championship is Oct. 24-25. All events are out of Prairie Creek Park. Entry fee is $150 per boat for qualifiers and $250 per boat for the championship.
Be a better boater
A free six-hour Arkansas Game and Fish Commission boater education course will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 21 at the Ponca Nature Center in downtown Ponca. Students must be 12 or older. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1986, must have taken a state-approved course in order to operate any kind of watercraft propelled by motor or sail. Call the center at (501) 710-6347 for details.
Open house at Northsong
Northsong Wild Bird Rehabilitation will host a silent auction and open house from noon to 4 p.m. March 29 at the rehab center, 17887 Wheeler Road in Fayetteville. Northsong provides free medical treatment for injured songbirds and raptors with a goal of releasing them back into nature. Call the center at (479) 334-5797 for details.
Live, work at lake
Army Corps of Engineers, Beaver Lake office, seeks motivated and friendly campground park attendants and campsite cleaners for the 2026 visitor season. Multiple positions are available at 11 campgrounds at the lake, including three campsite cleaner positions at Prairie Creek and Horseshoe Bend parks.
Volunteers reside in the park and are provided a full hook-up campsite while they serve. Volunteers are the primary point of contact for park visitors. Volunteers greet visitors, provide park information to guests, direct visitors to fee collection kiosks and to the recreation.gov campsite reservation system.
Contact the Beaver Lake office at (479) 636-1210, extension 1704 or email [email protected] for information.
Hawksbill Crag reroute
Ozark National Forest staff seek volunteers to work on a reroute of the trail that leads to Hawksbill Crag, also called Whitaker Point, near the Buffalo National River. Work will take place May 17-23. It’s the busiest trail in the Ozark National Forest attracting some 45,000 hikers each year, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The 1.8-mile trail requires roughly 0.3 miles of reroute within designated wilderness, along with 0.4 miles of decommissioning of the existing trail. These improvements are necessary to address erosion, reduce trail short cutting and relocate the trail farther from a nearby private property boundary to prevent public incursions.
In addition, approximately 800 feet of user-created shortcuts will need to be naturalized. Sections of the designated trail tread will be hardened to discourage switchback shortcutting. Ongoing drainage issues throughout the trail corridor will also be addressed through the installation of side ditches and the cleaning and maintenance of existing drainage features.
The group will spend the week car camping in a designated campground.
Visit bit.ly/4rZGa8j for information or to apply.
Central Pro-Am reunion
A reunion of anglers who fished the former Central Pro-Am bass tournament circuit is set for 2 p.m. Aug. 15 at Extreme Outdoors event center, 16957 Missouri 13, at Branson West, Mo.
Central Pro-Am tournaments were held at lakes around the Midwest including Beaver Lake for many years. The event is potluck so attendees are asked to bring a dish. Those planning to attend should contact Dodi Wenners, (417) 860-1321 or email [email protected].