Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  April 2, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report April 2, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 4-3 -2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said March ended on a high note for trout anglers in Cotter. The catch has been especially good this past week for browns. While most may not have been official “trophies,” there were many that fell just an inch or two short of the 24 inches required to earn a catch-and-release pin. The bait of choice was, again, sculpins, but sometimes a few shad were added to the mix and helped bring a brown to the boat.

The water level has been pretty steady over the past few days at just about one unit (3,300 cfs) to three units (9,000 cfs), so anglers were able to drift for trout or find their favorite fishing hole and drop a line there. The lake level is slowly dropping – 658.69 feet msl as of this writing.

You can hook your share of rainbows with a pink worm, sometimes tipped with white PowerBait. A rise in the water level due to increases in generation washes worms (red wigglers mostly) into the river, so baiting your hook with a real worm will add to your creel, too. Tie on something with lots of gold flash if using spoons; spinners with blue and silver blades have also proven successful. The low-water times have also been great for our fly-fishers with many wading opportunities opening up.

Can’t miss with a silver/red midge. The river level can change fast, so keep an eye on the water level if wade fishing.

“We’ve been battling some strong winds, but don’t give in. Nature is working to push winter out of the way. Be prepared for rain this weekend in the Arkansas Ozarks, but daytime temperatures will be mostly moderate. Whatever the weather, we’ll get you catching trout. See you there.”

 

Calico Rock Area

(updated 4-3-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “Fishing this last week has been amazing. We have seen reduced generation from the dams (Bull Shoals and Norfork), creating low and clear water in the Calico Rock area.
“With the reduced flow, drift-fishing has been less effective. We have seen a lot of fish caught using artificial lures such as Little Cleo and Thompson Colorado Spoons. Additionally, Rapala Countdowns in CD5 or CD7 in rainbow trout or black/silver have worked well.

“The prediction is these next rounds of storms are going to cause flooding on the Buffalo River and White River, which will last through at least Sunday. Depending on how muddy the lakes get and the water released from dams, it may take several days or more before the river clears up enough to be fishable.”

 

Allison/Mountain View Area

(updated 4-3-2025) Jack’s White River Fishing Resort reports they had a great week of fishing with several trips out on the water. The water level fluctuated between 2-5 feet, but despite that, “we were able to hit our limits each time. The guides had success using Sunrise Orange PowerBait, handmade hammered silver spinners, and shrimp as bait. Most of the fishing took place just past the Highway 9 bridge by Hansford Bluff near Round Bottom.

An AGFC staffer took in a guided trip with a friend and a Jack’s guide, Braden, the week before last and had a 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 4-3-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) reported Tuesday night that lake level was at 658 feet. Water temperature is ranging anywhere from 56 degrees into the 60s depending on location. “It’s that time of year where most anglers have been able to catch some beating the bank. With the incoming weather and a probable rise in water level, everything that’s been happening is about to change, with more fish moving up into pre-spawn areas.
“Power fishing shallow has been favorable with clouds, rain and high winds blowing square on the bank. Some fish are up there roaming shallow in 5-15 feet of water. A spinnerbait, Chatterbait, Alabama rig and a jerkbait will catch a few in natural shad patterns. Target windblown transition banks by steep stuff nearby — yep, not easy with the winds but that’s where they are at. Fish chunk rock, steeper banks and small ledges close to deep water. A SPRO Crawler, Wiggle Wart and 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, and a Jewel Peewee seems to be getting a little more action. Try areas near shad. Once again, a warm day with little wind and sunny fish points, drop-offs or ledges, piles, swings — you’re looking anywhere from 20-30 feet, and way shallower (5-10 feet) in stain or clouds.
“The offshore videogamers are going to have to work. The shad are still spread out and 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. Most fish are still looking up. 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 and the 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 and ‘Fish the Conditions.’”

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 4-3-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says walleye fishing in the daytime on the lower end of the lake has been a little better this week. Windy, cloudy days have helped the daytime fishing a lot. Weather this week calls for lots of rain and this will most certainly change lake levels and fish positions. If the lake rises up over the buckbrush, fish over it with spinnerbaits or a ⅛-ounce jighead with small swimbaits. Also, a shallow-running jerkbait such as a Smithwick Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue will get some bites.

Best fishing this past week has still been late evenings. Walleye seemed to still be in the spawning/post-spawn period. We are still seeing fish coming to the shallows at night. Fish 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 at this time. Fishing methods 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 back at extremely slow speeds will get some fish.

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 4-3-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are definitely more scattered than usual after these fronts and an extremely windy March. We had to search a lot of water lately for brush or feeding crappie. Jigs have been working best for me using a ⅛-ounce with a Tater Baits Small Fry in Arctic Blast or Aurora Blue. The minnow bite has been a little slower as of late.

 

Norfork Lake

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

(updated 4-3-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters (also Facebook.com/stroutfitters or 870-421-1541) guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports that the lake’s water level is at 573 feet msl, it is clear, and the water temperature is close to 60 degrees. However, if the predicted rains happen this week, the lake will have a big shock. We may see a rise of 6-8 feet with very stained water and lots of debris.
Stripers will continue their feeding as they get ready to spawn. Bait will move farther up the creek to feed, and the crappie will wait until the water calms down and warms back up. Next Tuesday we should see a return to stable conditions.
This past week saw lots of stripers being caught both during the day and night. The bite has been starting at first light and continues during the morning. As the wind picks up, the fish move the flats and will have feeding cycles during the morning. The best is large gizzard shad on free lines and planer boards.

The night fishing continues to be excellent this past week. The best times have been 8-10 p.m. Focus on the lake’s north and east banks. South and west winds warm these banks during the day, attracting stripers looking for bait. The best lures for night fishing are rogues and swimbaits.

Target creeks with long, flat areas and slightly stained water. The best locations to find active stripers include Steward Point, Pigeon Creek, Bennetts Bayou, Big Creek and Brushy Creek.

Crappie fishing is picking up. Crappie are being caught around the brushpiles using 1/16- and 1/32-ounce jigs or minnows. They have moved up to shallower water but will move as the water rises later this week.