As holiday decorations come down across Arkansas, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is asking residents to give their real Christmas trees a second life—this time underwater. Through the annual Habitat for the Holidays program, AGFC will repurpose used Christmas trees to help restore and enhance fish habitat in lakes and reservoirs statewide.
Rather than sending once-festive evergreens to the landfill, the AGFC encourages Arkansans to drop them off at designated collection sites, where they will be transformed into valuable underwater structure for fish.
Why the Trees Matter
Many Arkansas lakes have lost natural woody cover over time, reducing essential shelter and habitat for fish. Donated Christmas trees help rebuild that habitat almost immediately.
According to AGFC biologists, submerged trees provide three critical benefits:
• Refuge: Dense branches offer small fish hiding places from predators, improving survival rates.
• Food Source: As trees decompose, they support algae and aquatic insects at the base of the food chain.
• Fishing Hot Spots: Larger game fish like bass and crappie gather around the new structure, creating prime angling locations.
AGFC reminds donors that all decorations, lights, tinsel, and ornaments must be removed, and artificial trees are not accepted due to potential chemical contamination.
Trees Available for Anglers
The program benefits not only fish but also Arkansas anglers. Anyone can pick up donated trees and sink them legally, provided they have checked regulations with the lake’s managing authority. AGFC recommends using cinder blocks or sandbags attached with paracord to anchor trees until they waterlog and sink naturally.
Clusters of multiple trees create better habitat, as the small branches of Christmas trees break down relatively quickly.
Drop-Off Locations (Through End of January)
Northwest Arkansas
Beaver Lake – Highway 12 Access, AGFC Don Roufa Highway 412 Access, Monte Ne Boat Ramp
Lake Elmdale – Boat Ramp Access
Bob Kidd Lake – Boat Ramp Access
Crystal Lake – Boat Ramp Access
Lake Fayetteville – Boat Ramp Access
North Arkansas
Bull Shoals Lake – Any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat ramp
Norfork Lake – Any U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat ramp
Northeast Arkansas
Jonesboro – Craighead Forest Park Lake Boat Ramp
Lake Bono – Boat Ramp Access
Lake Walcott – Crowley’s Ridge State Park
Lake Charles – Highway 25 West Parking Lot
Lake Poinsett – Dam Access Boat Ramp
Batesville – Ramsey Slough Boat Ramp
Central Arkansas
Arkansas River – Riverview Park (North Little Rock)
Lake Barnett – Reed Access
Harris Brake Lake – Chittman Hill Access
Lake Pickthorne – Holland Bottoms Access
Lake Overcup – Lake Overcup Landing
Cox Creek Lake – Public Access
Lake Hamilton – Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery
West Central Arkansas
Lake Atkins
Lake Jack Nolen
Sugar Loaf Lake
East Arkansas
Horseshoe Lake – Bonds Access
Wynne Sports Complex Family and Community Lake
Southeast Arkansas
Cook’s Lake – Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center
Stuttgart – Bus lot across from Grand Avenue United Methodist Church
Monticello – AGFC Regional Office
Connerly Bayou Boat Ramp – Lake Chicot
South Arkansas
Camden – AGFC Regional Office
Upper White Oak Lake – Upper Jack’s Landing
Magnolia – Columbia County Road Yard
El Dorado – Union County Fairgrounds
Southwest Arkansas
Millwood Lake – Millwood State Park Ramp
Dierks City Pond – Main Parking Area
Rick Evans Grandview Prairie – Nature Center
Hope – AGFC Regional Office
Lake Dieffenbacher – Bobby Ferguson Park Pavilion, Texarkana
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