LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced the third installment of Faces of Arkansas, a monthly series highlighting Arkansans whose portraits and stories are displayed at the entrance to the Governor's office as a reminder of who the Governor and her team serve every day: the people of Arkansas. The series was launched to keep the focus of public service rooted in the individuals and communities that make the state what it is.

Each month, a different Arkansan is featured through a written profile, portrait photography, and a short video, with their framed photo hanging inside the Capitol. Selections are based on individuals who make Arkansas function - whether by serving as the heartbeat of their local communities, overcoming obstacles to achieve their dreams, or playing an essential role in their industry.

This installment features Eric Watts, of Little Rock, whose life and work are shaped by Arkansas' outdoors, a reflection of The Natural State as a way of being.

Natural State Fishing Owner Eric Watts on Lake Maumelle in Roland. Photo credit: Will Newton.

Eric Watts - Natural State of Being

Lake Maumelle wakes earlier than most. Before the first cup of coffee is poured, a crisp breeze moves across the water, birds begin their morning call, and the shoreline begins to stir. Beneath the surface, bass, crappie, and minnows start their day, following rhythms before alarm clocks ring.

For Arkansas, this is more than a peaceful morning, it's part of an outdoor recreation economy that is one of the state's strongest engines of growth. And for fishing guide Eric Watts, it's the beginning of a workday spent showing Arkansans and visitors all the Natural State has to offer.

Outdoor recreation has become one of the state's strongest engines of growth, now ranking as Arkansas' second-largest industry behind agriculture. In 2023 alone, outdoor recreation contributed more than $7 billion to the state's economy and supported nearly 70,000 jobs. Fishing has been a major driver of that growth, with value added from fishing increasing more than 36 percent over the last several years, putting Arkansas among the top states nationwide.

Through the Natural State Initiative, created by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and led by her husband, Bryan, to protect and promote Arkansas' outdoor economy, Arkansas has been solidifying what many Arkansans have long known: the outdoors isn't just a backdrop to life here, they are central to opportunity, education, and community.

On Lake Maumelle, that vision is lived out daily.

Long before the sun climbs high, a boat eases into the water. Gear is prepped. Weather conditions are read carefully - light, wind, temperature - there's no rush. Schools of fish patterns, whether its feeding, water depth, or passing through certain channels, are revealed through careful consideration and listening.

"This is my natural state of being," said Eric Watts. "And I think it's most people's natural state of being - when you're one with nature, connected with the outdoors, connected with God. When you're on the water, the hustle and bustle of everyday life is gone. You're just right here in the moment."

Eric is the owner of Natural State Fishing, a Little Rock-based guiding service that takes everyone from kids and first-time anglers to experienced fishers and professional athletes out on Lake Maumelle. But for Eric, guiding has never been about the title or the business card.

"My favorite part is seeing people light up," he said. "A lot of my clients, it's their first time ever fishing. Watching them catch a fish, but also watching all the cares of the world go away, that's the experience. They leave with a memory and a skill."

That emphasis on teaching is intentional.

"It's not about you catching a bunch of fish with me," Eric said. "I want you to be able to go out and replicate the same things on your own."

Fishing has shaped Eric's life for as long as he can remember. He grew up on the water with his grandfather, father, and uncles, spending long days fishing in Mississippi and along the Gulf Coast. Some trips were unforgettable, including an hours-long battle with a shark near an offshore oil rig, but his fondest memories are about what he didn't catch.

One stands out clearly. As a young child, riding across the water in his uncle's boat, Eric instinctively stuck his hand into the spray, letting the lake rush past his fingertips. "It wasn't about fishing that day," he recalled. "It was just being out there. That feeling stuck."

Decades later, he sees the same moment replay itself when kids step onto his boat for the first time, hands trailing in the water without thinking, building a connection with the outdoors.

That connection, between people, place, and purpose, sits at the heart of the Natural State Initiative. The initiative focuses on expanding access to outdoor recreation, strengthening small businesses tied to the outdoors, and connecting education with real-world experience. Lake Maumelle, located just miles from downtown Little Rock, offers a rare example of how all three can exist in the same space.

The lake offers a clear example of how those goals intersect.The lake supplies roughly 90 percent of the city's drinking water while also serving as a hub for fishing, boating, paddling, and wildlife recreation. It sits within the Maumelle Pinnacles Conservation Area, which encompasses Pinnacle Mountain State Park, Rattlesnake Ridge, and Blue Mountain, together forming a network of nearly 55,000 acres of protected land.

The Natural State Initiative's statewide outdoor recreation plan focuses on connecting spaces like these - linking parks, waterways, and urban centers through trails, bike paths, and paddling routes. Recent investments near Pinnacle Mountain State Park highlight that vision. As part of the Natural State Initiative's opportunity zones, a new visitor center now serves as a gateway to hiking trails, the Arkansas Arboretum, and more than 18 miles of Monument Trail System routes. The center functions as both a hub and a starting point, fostering education, accessibility, and economic activity while encouraging visitors to explore responsibly.

For Eric, guiding fits naturally into that ecosystem.

Before fishing full time, he worked nearly eight years in furniture manufacturing after briefly attending the University of Arkansas and realizing the path wasn't a right fit. Those years, he says, shaped his work ethic and prepared him for entrepreneurship. Days were spent at work; nights and weekends were spent fishing, learning the lake, and guiding whenever possible.

Making the leap to full-time guiding came after long hours and a pivotal conversation with his wife, his biggest supporter and accountability partner, who encouraged him to pursue life around his most consuming obsession.

"I never would've had this experience for myself if I hadn't taken that leap," Eric said. "Now I get to be out here every day."

Through his work, Eric has become part of a tight-knit angler community, one he describes as deeply Arkansan in spirit. "We help each other out," he said. "If someone's in trouble on the water, you're there. That's just how we operate."

That sense of responsibility extends beyond people to the resource itself. Eric teaches clients how to fish, respect the lake, to understand seasons, patterns, and the importance of stewardship. It's a mindset echoed throughout Arkansas' outdoor recreation community and reinforced by the Natural State Initiative's emphasis on conservation, education, and long-term sustainability.

As Arkansas continues to invest in outdoor recreation education, from trail management programs to skill-based learning tied to the outdoors, the line between work, learning, and way of life continues to blur in the best possible way.

As the day winds down on Lake Maumelle, the water settles again. The boat slows. Lines are reeled in and sometimes, without thinking, a hand slips back into the water, tracing the same path it did decades ago.

For Eric Watts, the Natural State is a way of being, lived daily on the water, where Arkansas' outdoors continue to shape livelihoods, communities, and lasting connections.

Natural State Fishing Owner Eric Watts on Lake Maumelle in Roland. Photo credit: Will Newton.
Natural State Fishing Owner Eric Watts on Lake Maumelle in Roland. Photo credit: Will Newton.
Natural State Fishing Owner Eric Watts on Lake Maumelle in Roland. Photo credit: Will Newton.

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