Bass Pro Shops store in Fort Smith to open April 29

The long-awaited opening of a Bass Pro Shops in Fort Smith is set for April 29, with the Springfield, Mo.-based retailer including a “Day of Conservation Celebration” with 15% of certain sales going to local conservation groups.

The outdoor retailer on Wednesday (April 22) announced the grand opening date, with store doors set to open at 9 a.m. The first 100 customers will receive a free gift card valued between $10 and $500.

Bass Pro announced in February it was bringing its Outpost retail store to Fort Smith off Rogers Avenue and along Interstate 540 where the former Best Buy building was located. The 70,000-square-foot Fort Smith store will be the third Bass Pro Shops store in Arkansas and is set to open this year. The other two stores are in Rogers and Little Rock. The city issued a $20 million building permit for the store in July 2025.

Grand opening events are scheduled for April 29 through May 2, with one of the special guests being Roland Martin, a nine-time Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Inductee. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The store’s 19,000-gallon aquarium was designed to have an “Ozarks-cave environment,” and will be home to a 14-pound largemouth bass caught at DeGray Lake and donated by the angler, according to the retailer. The aquarium will also include a 40-pound blue catfish.

“Fish were sourced from longstanding private fish farms, angler donations and partnerships with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” Bass Pro noted in a press release.

Link here for more details on the grand opening.