Support Fish Habitats By Donating Your Christmas Tree in Arkansas

Now that Christmas is over, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission needs your Christmas tree. Not the artificial ones, but a used live evergreen or spruce tree.

Purpose of Habitat for the Holidays Program in Arkansas

Every year, the AGFC has a meaningful purpose for the trees with the Habitat for the Holidays program. Live trees are crucial for the underwater habitat for Arkansas's fish population.

According to AGFC, Arkansas is well known for having some of the best fishing in the state for anglers. Unfortunately, some of the lakes' natural cover diminishes over time, and adding any live used Christmas tree can create cover for fish and a hot spot for fishing.

The Benefits of Donating a Used Live Christmas Tree to the AGFC

Donated trees from the general public must be stripped of all decorations and ornaments before they're dropped off. The used trees help provide benefits such as refuge for smaller fish and baitfish.

This ensures that smaller fish are protected from larger fish, helping them survive and grow. As trees decompose, they become a feeding frenzy for aquatic insects because of algae growth.

READ MORE: See New Laws Taking Effect in Arkansas January 1, 2026

Larger fish, like bass and crappie, are drawn to the new cover to hide and ambush their prey, which in turn makes for some great fishing for anglers.

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Trees are free for any angler to use for habitat, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission offers information and safety tips on how to properly submerge the trees in lakes, reservoirs, and rivers here. Some water-supply reservoirs and other lakes have regulations to prevent placing brush without permission

In Southwest Arkansas, Here are Some Drop-off Locations

• Dierks City Pond – Main parking area
• Hope – AGFC Regional Office on U.S. Highway 67 East
• Lake Dieffenbacher – Bobby Ferguson Park Pavilion, Texarkana
• Millwood Lake – Millwood State Park ramp on the point
• Rick Evans Grandview Prairie – Nature Center

For other locations in Arkansas, go to the AGFC website.