Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  November 20, 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 20, 2024.

White River

(updated 11-21-2024) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said November gave us a gorgeous Indian summer with mild days, cool nights and creels full of colorful rainbow trout. Cotter will see a few more unseasonably mild days but the nighttime lows will begin to feel more like November. Bull Shoals Lake is close to the targeted power pool of 659 feet msl, and releases from the dam are reflecting the lake level with about one unit (3,000 cfs) flowing around the clock — much healthier for the trout than the very low water earlier this autumn.
Successful catches this week started with mid-action spinners (Vibrax Blue Foxes were a hit, sliver with a blue blade or standard gold) and spoons (always start with the red-gold Thomas Buoyant). If you prefer bait, the guides are first using redworms; second, shrimp with orange or sunrise egg patterns. Pink-scented worms attracted a fair share of rainbows. We’re seeing healthy, good-sized rainbows with a lot of color, red cheeks and bright pink stripes. 

The browns are not immune to bait now even during the spawn season, but they’re mostly striking in an attempt to get rid of the annoyance. Drift a sculpin and you’ll get more attention. Be careful not to disturb the spawning beds (the redds) if you motor through spawning areas around Rim Shoals and downriver from the catch-and-release at the dam.

Thanksgiving weekend is just around the corner so we’ll be seeing more visitors to the area and an increase in river traffic. Be thoughtful toward (and thankful for) other anglers and for the natural resources that are so well maintained here in our natural state of Arkansas. We look forward to seeing you and sharing fishing stories.

(updated 11-21-2024) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said Wednesday that the only report he had was that the river remains muddy and fishing is almost nonexistent at this time. Cleaner water can be found upriver of the confluence of the North Fork and White.

 

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 11-21-2024) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) said the lake seemed to be holding at 660 feet msl. Water temperature is still about 63 degrees. Powerfish runoffs and target stained water with Chatterbait, spinnerbait or square bill up skinny. If there’s wood, flip a Jewel Jig or Beaver-style bait in the wood. Most of the creeks are stained. If the water is clear, you’re gonna have to back out a bit.
The topwater bite has slowed down. Don’t put them away just yet — the fish seem to be bouncing from shad ball to shad ball. 
In the creeks the shad are starting to group up. Most are out over the old creek channel, while some are getting pushed onto the flats. There are shad sitting high on the surface down to 60 feet. For the guys chasing shad, a small half-ounce Flutter Spoon or Jewel Scuba Spoon or Rapala Jigging Rap is good if the shad are on the bottom. Use a Tater Shad or small, heavy swimbait on the suspendeders, that will fool a few.
Loons are showing up. You better be good at the front-looker; having to hit them on the move isn’t easy. The white bass and smallmouth bass are schooling capitalizing on the shad. Overall, smaller baits has helped. As the lake cools off, we will get more fish moving up shallow. There are fish to be had on the main lake. Check long points, ledges, piles, drop-offs and bluff ends that are close to deep water. If it’s cloudy and windy, the Wiggle Wart, Rock Crawler or a crankbait are getting some attention on steeper, wind-blown banks. 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 11-21-2024) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says the walleye fishing patterns are still about the same as last week. The dam has been releasing a little more water this week. After the recent rains and extreme rise in lake level, the water has become fairly stained in most areas. The fish are shifting around a bit following the shad.

Searching for baitfish and good water clarity will be the key to locating them. Fish have still been reluctant to chase a bait, and fishing slow has been the key to catching a few walleye. Fish are scattered from 35 feet down to 60 feet.
“The best luck I have had this past week has still been a drop-shot rig and nightcrawler or shiners around points with brush or trees close by. I have also been getting a few on the steeper-sided channel swings. Walleye seem to be moving in and out of different water depths depending on wind and cloud cover.
“If they are shallow, stay out off 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, an Ice Jig or drop-shot rig. 
“Scan points on both sides and tips by zigzagging in and out of 35-60 feet of water to find fish. You can also use a Carolina rig with 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. Trollers have been picking a few fish up flat by line trolling shad-style baits in 15 feet of water in the early mornings and late evening. 

(updated 11-21-2024) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are still scattered and seem to be doing better after the dirty water has set in the last few days. We’re still finding them in brushpiles mainly, and most seem to be 20-25 feet deep. Minnows have been bait of choice lately and also Tater Baits Small Fry on an eighth-ounce. Move piles until you find the ones that cooperate.