Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  November 6, 2024

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report November 6, 2024.

White River

(updated 11-7-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said the White River near Cotter is clearing and recovering after the major rain early this week, the water from the creeks has receded, the sun is shining. Bull Shoals Lake rose nearly 7.5 feet; the dam will be generating sporadically so be mindful of water level as they can change quickly. In this unseasonably warm November, we are experiencing beautiful, mild days, cool nights and fishing creels full of colorful rainbow trout.

You’ll find success with a variety of spoons and Blue Fox spinners. Any rainbow-colored spoons or Rooster Tails in your tackle box should be your first choice. When bait fishing, the guides are using red wiggler worms and backing them up with shrimp and peach, orange or pink egg patterns. The X-Factor steelhead orange and shrimp colored baits (egg clusters and regular-sized egg patterns) as well as X-Factor red worms may attract the attention of the rainbows, too.

The browns are not immune to bait now even during the annual spawn; sculpins work one day, minnows the next.

More visitors are expected on the river with the upcoming holidays, so expect an increase in river traffic. Be especially careful and thoughtful of other anglers: boaters, shore fishers and waders. Come in and share your fishing stories.

(updated 10-31-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said the White River in Calico Rock continues to be as low as 2 feet as high as 5 feet. The very low water has limited how far up and down the river to fish. Fishing in the low-water conditions has made fishing with copper or gold-colored spoons (either a quarter ounce or one-sixth ounce) effective. We are also seeing success with Rapala Countdown CD5 in silver and rainbow trout colors. Additionally, quarter-ounce black and yellow Panther Martins with a gold blade worked well as the trout moved up onto the gravel bars to feed. Drift-fishing with Uncommon Bait UV Neo Pink eggs with a piece of shrimp or worm continues to be effective on both the gravel bars and deeper holes. Fishing with sculpins has been slow, but when the browns or rainbows bite, the trout tend to be larger (15 or more inches).

 

Bull Shoals Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Bull Shoals Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.

(updated 11-7-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said the lake level Wednesday was at 659 feet msl. “Crazy. That’s about a 10-foot rise since last week. Be careful in the backs of creeks. There are floaters and debris still bobbing around.”
The water temperature is 66 degrees, give or take, he said. “If you’re going bass fishing, my, how things have changed. There are fish that moved up shallow. Powerfish runoffs, target stained water, use a Chatterbait, spinnerbait or square bill up skinny. Some of the creeks are already surprisingly clearing up. If the water is clear you’re going to have to back out a bit. You can physically see the balls of shad the last couple days.
“A topwater Plopper is still good for a few early. Then keep a Spook or Lucky Craft Sunfish out and ready. There are random blowups in the middle of the day. The fish seem to be bouncing from shad ball to shad ball. Shad are still spread out. Most are out over the old creek channel, while some are getting pushed onto the flats. The cooler temps should help. There are shad sitting high on the surface down to 50 feet.
“If it’s sunny and flat, I’m going to check mouths of creeks and pockets, on long points, ledges, piles drop-offs and bluff ends. Around treetops that are close to deep water, I’m still getting some of those main lake fish on a Roboworm drop-shot. For the gamers, a small half-ounce Flutter spoon or Jewel Scuba Spoon if the shad are on the bottom tater shad or small, heavy swimbait on the suspenders that will fool a few. You better be good at the front-looker; having to hit ’em on the move isn’t easy.

“Overall, smaller baits have helped. As the lake cools off we will get more fish moving up shallow and those crawfish eaters will start cooperating. You can always catch a few on a jig. Dust off those Wiggle Wart, Rock Crawler crankbaits. It’s getting close, going to try especially on those windy, cloudy days. Fish the conditions.”

Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Lake Fishing Report) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.

(updated 11-7-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the walleye fishing patterns are still about the same as last week. However, with the recent rains and extreme lake level rise, you can expect the fish to be on the move.

Searching for baitfish and good water clarity will be the key to locating them. Fish have been reluctant to chase a bait this past and fishing slow has been the key to catching a few walleye. Fish are scattered from 15 feet down to 60 feet.

“The best luck I have had this past week has still been a drop-shot rig and nightcrawler around points with brush or trees close by. Walleye seem to be moving in and out of different water depths depending on wind and cloud cover. If they are shallow, stay out in deeper water and cast into them with a jig and crawler or drop-shot rig and work them back to the boat very slowly. If they are deep, go vertical with spoons, Ice Jig or drop-shot rig. Scan points, both sides and tips, by zigzagging in and out of 20-70 feet of water to find fish. You can also use a Carolina rig with a half-ounce egg sinker and No. 2 Aberdeen hook and nightcrawler worked very slowly around groups of fish on the deeper sides of deep brushpiles. Some trollers have been picking a few fish up flat by line trolling shad-style baits in 15 feet of water in the early morning and late evening.”

(updated 11-7-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are still mainly pretty scattered on brush in creeks. We’re finding a few on the main lake but it’s tough going. Catching a few on jigs depending on the day but still mainly on minnows.