Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report
March 26, 2025
More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report March 26, 2025.
White River Cotter
(updated 3-27-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Spring break has ushered in some very nice days for the visiting families; our fishing community has welcomed many to the beautiful Arkansas Ozarks for terrific trout fishing on the White. Bull Shoals Lake is now below desired power pool level, at 658.45 feet msl.Generation from Bull Shoals Dam has been variable from minimum flow (700 cfs) to over five units (17,000 cfs).
“It’s brown trout season on the White River and our anglers pulled in more browns than rainbows this past week as the guides go all out to continue the catching fever. No secret to what has been tempting the browns: sculpins and redfin minnows. Get a quick picture before the release to serve as bragging rights and re-bait for your next catch. Handle with care.
“Red, gold and silver spoons are favored by the rainbows this week — Cleos and Buoyants. Try pink or orange PowerBait or pink/white Berkley mousetail worms if throwing spoons isn’t your style. If the fish seem finicky, move on until you find a deeper hole where the trout are resting from fast water and you’ll feel the tug.
“Come visit the Arkansas Ozarks and enjoy a spring day in our Natural State, enjoying and employing God’s great outdoors.”
Calico Rock
(updated 3-27-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “The weather has been nice with cooler mornings and warm days. Water conditions have been great with lower water averaging 4-5 feet in the mornings and rising to around 7 feet later in the day. With the low and clear water we have seen a lot of success throwing artificial lures such as Rapala Countdowns CD5 and CD7 in rainbow trout color, Thompson Colorado quarter-ounce spoons in nickel/gold, or quarter-ounce Rooster Tails in white or rainbow trout colors. Drift-fishing with a No. 7 split shot 8-12 inches up the line with a hook that has two Uncommon Bait UV eggs (Neo Pink and Bright Orange seem to work best) with shrimp has also worked well. After the water rises, the bite can slow down, and I recommend trying different combinations of egg colors with shrimp or worms. This week we have seen success with blue eggs working. We’ve seen some nice trout caught this week to include a 22-inch 4-pound-plus rainbow trout and several brown trout over 20 inches.“This week the Calico Rock boat ramp received one stocking of over 1,000 rainbow trout from the Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery with other stockings upriver at Chessmond Ferry and downriver at Mount Olive. There were some nice fat 13-inch-plus rainbows in the stocking at Calico Rock.”
Allison/Mountain View Area
(updated 3-27-2025) AGFC staff fished the White River in the Allison/Mountain View area out of Jack’s White River Fishing Resort last weekend and had lot of success with rainbows, mostly catching them up to 6 miles or so north of the resort and drifting downstream rapidly with a pretty strong current. The AGFC had stocked the river with rainbows at Mount Olive and at the Sylamore Access several days earlier, and the stockers were hungry. Best success was by spin-fishing with inline spinners, eggs (like X Factor or something similar) and pieces of shrimp. Make sure to use only about a third of a whole shrimp; anything more is too much for the trout to swallow. We caught some more mature rainbows as well as the stockers, too.
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 3-27-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) reports that lake level is nearly full pool at 658 feet msl, while water temps are anywhere from 50-56 degrees depending on where you are. Bass fishing is picking up. There are more fish moving up into pre-spawn areas. Powerfishing shallow has been favorable with high winds blowing square on the bank. Some fish are up roaming shallow at 5-15 feet. A spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Alabama rig and a jerkbait will catch a few in natural shad patterns. Target windblown transition banks — yep, not easy with the winds, but that’s where they are at. Chunk rock, steeper banks, small ledges close to deep water. A SPRO Crawler, Wiggle Wart, Red Craw or green variations are catching them. You can go bright in stained water, natural in the clear. The crank bite will slow without wind. There are always fish to be caught on a jig — a Peewee seems to be getting a little more action. Try areas near shad. Once again, warm and a little wind, sunny, fish points, drop-offs or ledges and piles — you’re looking anywhere from 20-40 feet. Fish way shallower (5-10 feet) in stain or with cloud cover.
The offshore videogamers are going to have to work. The shad are still spread out throughout the water column and spread through the creeks. Target larger bait balls or any bait you can find up high near the surface and closer to the shore. Some fish are still hovering wanting to move. Every day is different and every creek will be a little different.
If you are targeting shad-eaters, it’s been work! A smaller 2.8 swimbait or a regular Tater Shad has been working, and use a jerkbait around those high-swimming shad or shad balls early or late in the day when shad are up in the water column. They are being finicky if they aren’t actively feeding.
“Good luck. Have fun, be safe, ‘Fish the conditions.’ For those of you who chase white bass, now is the time!”
Del regularly posts new YouTube videos. Visit his YouTube site (Bull Shoals Fishing Report) for more information and tips on fishing Bull Shoals Lake.
(updated 3-27-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says walleye fishing on the lower end of the lake has still been slow in the daytime this week. Best fishing this past week has still been late evenings. Some fish are still in the spawning cycle and are coming to the shallows at night and are scattered along chunk rock points with deep water close by and along steeper creek channel swings that have shad. Best to fish lowlight periods now. Cloudy and windy days help the daytime fishing a lot.
Fishing methods are still the same: fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing 4 feet out to 30 feet of water with jig and minnow, jig and plastics, or Ice Jigs worked slowly back to the boat on points with deep water on at least one side will produce fish. Fishing the same structure right before and after dark with 110-style jerkbaits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved at extremely slow speeds will get some bites.
We have not seen much up early along the shoreline before daylight, but as the water in the creeks starts to warm a little bit more, right before daylight, will also be another opportunity to catch some using the same methods.
If trolling, try to fish lowlight periods. Trolling 5-inch stick baits at slow speeds as low as .85 mph in 7-14 feet along windblown banks will also work.(updated 3-27-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says to look for crappie in the creeks — you’re looking at brushpiles close to 20-ish feet and found closer to baitfish. Dead-sticking jigs with a small fry bait or minnows under a bobber has been decent, but it seems it changes back and forth from day to day.
Norfork Lake
For the Army Corps of Engineers’ real-time outflow report from Norfork Dam, visit the Corps’ Little Rock office website.
(updated 3-20-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters (also Facebook.com/stroutfitters or 870-421-1541) says the lake is at normal pool, 573 feet msl, with clear clarity and a water temperature in the 50s. The warm weather has improved fishing for Norfork Lake stripers. They are moving closer to shore as the water warms, bringing the shad into the creeks. The stripers have moved from the main lake to the mid-section of the creeks.
“I have seen stripers in the creeks that drop off into the channel. The bigger stripers have started showing up and are activity feedings on mid-size gizzard shad and threadfin shad. Fish the creeks that have long flats and stained water; Steward Point, Pigeon Creek, Bennetts Bayou, Big Creek and Brushy Creek are areas with the best conditions to hold active stripers.”