A guided float trip means you'll drift down the White
River, North Fork River or the Buffalo River in
north-central Arkansas at a comfortable pace to fish as
you watch scenery and wildlife. On the White River and
North Fork River, we fish mainly for Rainbow Trout and
Brown Trout. On the Buffalo River, it is mainly
Smallmouth Bass.
We think you will find a guided Arkansas trout fishing
trip is one of the best bargains around.
Some people; new to trout fishing, believe that "trout
fishing" means that you have to fish with fly fishing
gear. Most of the "locals" here and most of our
guests do not use fly fishing gear; they use spinning or
spincasting rods/reels. No experience
required!
Fly fishing is a wonderful sport and we take out many
fly-fishers, but it is not the only way to fish for
trout. Fly fishing is becoming more and more
popular over the years; around here as elsewhere.
Your guide can do everything for you, including casting,
or he can just get you there and let you catch the
trout. Or anything in between these two
extremes. Just depends on your experience,
etc. Either way, stories and laughs will be
provided.
And if you choose, you may also enjoy a great White
River, Arkansas trout fishing tradition; the shore
lunch .
In addition to our regular "
day
trips" we do "camp"
trips. Our "camp" trips are more accurately
"fish and then camp" trips. Our trout fishing and
camping float trip is a truly therapeutic adventure.
When the trout fishing day is over you'll camp on our
private 15 acre wooded island. You'll enjoy a tasty
steak dinner cooked over oak coals, then relax
with your friends around the campfire until retiring to
your tent to sleep on a comfortable cot. In the morning
you'll watch our cooks prepare your breakfast over the
campfire as you sip hot coffee.
Over the last 54 years we've heard thousands of happy
customers claim that our White River Arkansas Ozarks
float trips are unforgettable fun and relaxation.Those
who have never fished in their lives come away amazed at
the fun they had, and how much they relaxed in such a
short time. And the seasoned fishers make the same
claim.
A
Personal Note......
There are a lot of things we love about this Arkansas
trout fishing business; our guests, our guides and
just the rivers. But the best thing is to see
the difference in brand new guests from the time they
arrive to the time they get back to the dock at the
end of the day.
You can sometimes see some tension and worry on their
faces when they walk in our door for the first
time. When they get back to the dock after
fishing, it's all gone. That truly is the best
part of our day, and Debbie and I just look at each
other and smile 'cause we knew it was going to
happen. Always does.
Ron,
Debbie and Dylan Gamble
About Cotter Trout Dock - An Arkansas Trout Fishing
Guide Service Since 1954
For over 50 Years Cotter Trout Dock has
been conducting exceptional guided trout fishing float
trips and camping float trips on Arkansas' White River
and North Fork River and smal lmouth bass fishing
trips on the Buffalo National River in Northern
Arkansas.
We are a Buffalo National Scenic River
(National Park Service) approved fishing and camping
outfitter. On Buffalo River trips, we camp on
riverbank gravel bars at the rivers edge.
For White River camp trips, Cotter Trout
Dock owns Smith Island our
private 15 acre island at the confluence of the
White River and Buffalo River. Our favorite trip is 24
miles down the Buffalo River through two Wilderness
Areas; camping one night on the Buffalo River and the
second night on our island on the White River, then
fish 12 more miles on the White River to Norfork.
Cotter Trout Dock guided trout fishing
trips are great for family vacations, customer
appreciation and employee reward groups or just one
boat full of friends. Fully Licensed and Insured.
Established 1954.
Where We Do Our Guided Trout Fishing Trips For
Rainbow and Brown Trout On The White River In
Arkansas
The cold, crystal clear White River
flows from Bull Shoals Dam 18 miles above Cotter,
Arkansas, our starting base. For the next 60 miles
its chilled waters are perfect for rainbow, brown,
and cutthroat trout, as well as providing natural
air conditioning that keeps you comfortable even
during July and August.
The Arkansas White River receives regular trout
stocking, plus it has good populations of native
trout. The White River in Arkansas is the
producer of several trout World Records.
The scenery is primarily Arkansas Ozark forests and
bluffs with some open fields. There are homes along
the river banks in some areas, but for the most part
the scenery is primitive. You'll see several types of
animals, birds (including blue herons and eagles), and
wildflowers along the way.
Fishing Float Trips - 30 to 40 Rainbow Trout
Caught Per Person On One Of Our Guided Fishing Trips
Is Very Usual
Brown trout
like this one are not uncommon in the White River;
we see our guests catch many every year. You'll also
catch rainbows, cutthroats, and brook trout.
Rainbows are much more abundant than browns and most
of our guests fish mainly for rainbows.
Our Arkansas trout fishing float trips range in
length from a ten mile 1/2 day trip, to camping
trips of several days covering about fifteen miles
per day. All trips are fully outfitted with all you
need for a safe, comfortable excursion.
Our guided fishing trips are conducted by
professional, well-trained guides with many years
experience. Lots of stories! And they are great
cooks over a charcoal fire. We are famous for our
excellent shore lunches and camp meals.
We are happy to "put-you-in" at any point on the
rivers and "take-you-out" at any point on any river.
Our most requested trip leaves the Cotter Trout Dock
dock at 7:00 AM and you fish 14 miles to the Buffalo
City public access ramp. At 4:00 PM we bring you back
to the dock in our vans arriving about 4:30.
Learn
More About Our Day Trips
We Are Happy To Help You
Plan Your Arkansas Trout Fishing Trip
Cotter Trout Dock is open all year
around. We've been in the same location since 1954;
just after trout were introduced into the Arkansas
White River. We are fully licensed and insured. We are
very safety conscious and are inspected by the
National Park Service on a regular basis. We do not
have any hidden charges.
When you book your fishing trip with
Cotter Trout Dock, we'll make your room reservations
at the accommodation of your choice. We'll be happy to
make reservations at restaurants or attractions for
your group. For corporate groups we can pay for rooms,
meals etc., and your company can write one check to
us.
We'll be happy to pick you up at either the Marion
County Airport in Flippin or the Baxter County Airport
in Mountain Home and provide transportation between the
dock and your motel accommodations at no extra charge.
We gladly provide rods and reels at no charge.
Overnight and Extended Camp and Trout Fishing Float Trips

Cotter Trout Dock owns a 15 acre island in the middle
of the Arkansas White River directly in front of the
mouth of the Buffalo River. Your privacy and solitude
is guaranteed! We maintain multiple grassy, shaded
camp sites on our island so that we do not need to
combine groups. Your campsite is for your group alone.
This private campground is for our overnight float
trip guests only.
Overnight trips are from 2 to 6 days. Depending on
the length of your trip and water conditions, you
might elect to float both the Buffalo National River
and the White River; or float the North Fork and White
Rivers. All trips are tailored to your individual
requirements.
Learn
More
About
Our Camping Trips
Arkansas Southern Cooking - Shore Lunch And Camp
Trip Meals - Hush Puppies Included
Smell The
Coffee .. . And The Bacon . . . And The Steaks.
Campfire bacon frying over oak coals is one of many
tasty dishes our skilled cooks prepare on camping
float trips.
At Cotter Trout Dock in Cotter, Arkansas, we are
famous for our shore lunches and camp cooking. Field
& Stream and other outdoor magazines have written
several articles about us, and they all raved about
our meals. But the article we are most proud of is one
that appeared in Gourmet Magazine. They had many good
things to say about our meal and our guides. We bet
you will too! We use top quality ingredients like
corn-fed beef, hand-picked tomatoes, and cooks who
know what to do with them.
You may change the menu to accommodate the tastes and
diets of your group - low fat, Kosher, etc. You'll need
to bring your own alcohol, but we can special order
anything else.
Learn
More About Our Meals
Who Goes On Our Arkansas Trout Fishing Trips
From beginners to advanced
fishers, people of all ages, have enjoyed Cotter Trout
Dock float trips for over 50 years.
Our guests ages range from 3 years old to ninety years
old. We can tailor our trips to meet your needs. Guided
float fishing is all we do and we are highly devoted to
creating the best trip possible.
Float fishing and camping in the Arkansas Ozarks is an
experience unlike that found anywhere else in the
Western Hemisphere. It is a luxury outdoor living and
fishing experience that never fails to satisfy our
guests. This quality level has taken us years of hard
work to achieve and we put it to work for you.
We're large enough to accommodate any size group, but
small enough to tailor our trips to your individual
requirements. We float fish all the trout waters of the
White and North Fork Rivers covering 15 miles of river
per day. All our trips are float trips- no local
fishing. This gets you away from the public access to
where the fishing is better and the scenery is
beautiful.
We fish from traditional green White River Arkansas
John boats. These best blend with the river and don't
announce your presence to the fish. All boats are
fully outfitted with comfortable, padded swivel seats,
life jackets, and throw cushions. Our guides either
own or are assigned their own motors and equipment.
Motors and equipment are well maintained and clean.
See
People
Who Fish With Us
Thanks for reading clear down to here!
There is a lot more information on other pages on this
site. Check them out, give us a call or email and
then...........
Come on over and see why most of our customers are
family vacations or groups that come to Cotter Trout
Dock at Cotter, Arkansas every year, year after year, to
enjoy some of the best trout fishing in America.
Arkansas trout fishing - it's the best!
Arkansas Game And Fish Commission Information
Free
downloadable brochures that are easy to print.
Fishing, hunting guides and many more. Great info.
Fishing
license
information.
Get your license online or get
it when you get here.
Weekly Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fishing
Reports. Sign up to get in your email if you
want.
Local Weather
The local Baxter Bulletin Newspaper located in Mountain
Home has a good weather
site.
Another fine weather
site from Ozark Mountain Websites by Gary Cooley.
Mileage Map
Quick loading little map with mileage
from Cotter to major cities.
Also, see our Directions
page.
Local Information
Cotter's Trout
Capital
USA website. Fine site with lots of info
about Cotter.
Cotter Arkansas
Chamber of Commerce Website
.
Harrison,
Arkansas Convention and Visitors Bureau.
State Of Arkansas Information
The place for tourism information covering the whole state is Arkansas.com
Lodging (alphabetically)
Brass Door Motel website. Located about 4-5 miles away in Gassville.
Cotter Trout
Lodge website. Located maybe two blocks from our dock in Cotter.
His Place Resort website. Located about 2 miles upriver from us.
Rim Shoals Resort website. Located about 5 miles downriver from us.