Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  April 9, 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 9, 2025.

White River Cotter Area

(updated 4-10-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Celebrate! The sun is shining, no rain for several days, we’re beginning to dry out and the river is clearing.

“The lakes in the White River watershed have been rising due to recent rains. Water levels have been fairly consistent at between 2,000 and 10,000 cfs, during most of each day over the last week and fishing is good. Water clarity at Cotter and upstream is back to normal (clear to excellent) after a few days of dinginess from creek runoff. It’s taking a little longer to improve downriver due to Crooked Creek and Buffalo River drainage.

“The brown bite has switched back and forth between sculpins and minnows — keep both on hand if possible. You’ll still catch some great browns with shad a little further upriver. Our best bait was a 4½-inch Violet Cream Smithwick (white with a soft yellow back), but the spoons were producing really well, too. The Thomas Buoyant red/gold hammered quarter-ounce spoon was a winner. Crawdad season is starting; we’re finding a good supply in ponds and smaller tributaries. Trout love crawdads, but if you can’t get your hands on real ones, shrimp is a close imitator, and the Rebel WeeCrawfish (Stream Crawfish color or the chartreuse/green back) works great, too.

“Rainbows have been moving toward sunrise and orange PowerBait, and combining that with shrimp or crawdad tail has been an excellent way to reel in some great-sized fish.
“Expect increased generation from Bull Shoals Dam in the coming weeks. Deeper water means more drift fishing, no wading opportunities — but the trout love lots of fresh, cold water and they are feisty and healthy when they get it. Stop in on your way to the river.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 4-10-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “The heavy rains last week caused flooding through the weekend. At Calico Rock the White River crested at 28 feet. By Monday afternoon the river was back in the banks. Through Wednesday we have seen very muddy water with signs the water is starting to clear up. Hopefully by the weekend the river will be clear and we can get back to fishing.”

 

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 4-10-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake (815-592-4302) reported Wednesday night that lake level was on the rise at 666 feet msl while last week at this time it was 658 feet msl. Water temps vary anywhere from 54-60 degrees. The bigger creeks have some debris — be careful with floaters as the lake rises. That being said, everything is changing by the minute. Once the lake stabilizes these bass are going to be looking to move up; bucks are already up there. The water toward the main lake is gin clear toward the dam and chocolate milk in the creeks. 

Some fish have moved up with the water. Powerfishing shallow has been favorable with clouds, rain, wind and stained water. Some fish are up there roaming shallow. Try a spinnerbait, Chatterbait or a square bill in bright colors. Target windblown transition banks by steep stuff nearby — 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 and Red Craw 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 such as a Jewel half-ounce green pumpkin variant. 

Once again, warm, a little wind, sunny try points, drop-offs or ledges, piles swings — you’re looking anywhere from 1 foot to 20 feet deep. Also a shaky head and a Ned rig are coming into play. 

The offshore videogamers are going to have to work — the shad are still spread out and there are still loons and seagulls. 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 as the shad are making their way into the creeks. A smaller 2.8 swimbait or a regular Tater Shad has been working, and also try a jerkbait around those high swimming shad and shad balls in the clear water. They are being finicky if they aren’t actively feeding. 

Just because they are up doesn’t mean much if it’s blue birds, flat, post-front: It’s still going to sting a little. 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 4-10-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) says cloudy days prior to the cold front helped the daytime fishing. The change in lake level (up 8 feet) has the fish changing positions. If lake rises up over the buckbrush, fish over it with spinnerbaits or a ⅛-ounce jighead with small swimbaits; a shallow-running jerkbait such as a 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 low-light periods now. 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 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 fish.

If trolling, try to fish low-light 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 4-10-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) says crappie are definitely scattered at least mid-lake. We have had success covering lots of brush in that 15- to 25-foot range and occasionally starting to catch a few beautiful males that are getting their tuxedo on shallower brush around 10 feet. We are getting closer but these cool nights, rising colored water and debris have them still scattered in a funk. Very soon when it stabilizes it will be time for the coveted spawn! We have had success casting jigs over brush and also with minnows. 

 

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

(updated 4-10-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters (also Facebook.com/stroutfitters or 870-421-1541) guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports that the lake is at 569 feet msl and stained in the creeks; the main lake from Robinson Point is clean and clear. “We just had a rain event that increased the water level by 15 feet. The good news is that the lake is in good shape and ready for great spring fishing. I was worried the crappie would not have reasonable spawning grounds, but now that the buckbrush is covered, crappie fishing will get better each week.

“The threadfin shad will begin their annual spawning run in the next few weeks, and now that the buckbrush is covered, the stripers will be chasing bait and artificial lures. There will be some great fishing in the remainder of April and May.
“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 week, we should see a return to stable conditions.

“The night fishing should start all over the lake as the water warms. The best times have been 8-10 p.m., focusing 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.”