Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  April 30, 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 30, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 5-1-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake is 14 feet above power pool and slowly rising. Even so, dam releases recently decreased from an average of nearly 20,000 cfs to 15,000 cfs, equivalent to five generators/units. The flow has remained fairly constant, which is good news; steady water releases cause less

stress to the trout than frequent changes to the generation amounts. We can expect continued high water as the Army Corps of Engineers manages the water from the sky. It was a rainy April.

The Cotter catch has been high quality this week: 16- to 20-inch rainbows weren’t out of reach, and the keepers (under 14 inches) were healthy and fat. Seems you couldn’t go wrong with a suspending Smithwick Rogue Jr. or the 4½-inch, ⅜-ounce Violet Cream Rogue. 

The No. 7 Countdowns of almost any color (gold/black, brown or brook trout, rainbow, silver/black) are flying off the shelf, which shouts, “Rapalas are catching!”

To fill your creel with keeper rainbows, downsize your hooks (size 8 or 6) and try a tiny piece of shrimp with a bubblegum pink worm. Make it a mousetail — white egg pattern on the pink worm — for a more sure catch.

Rising water? Always turn to live worms first. The browns have been nibbling shad and sculpins.

“Come enjoy an Ozark spring day and you’ll be hooked. See you on the river!”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 5-1-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we continue to see water depths between 11 and 13 feet. The good news is the water has cleared up. Bull Shoals Dam continues to run eight generators, while Norfork Dam is running generators and releasing water through the floodgates. With the high water, the trout have schooled up on the gravel bars. What has worked well for us is drift-fishing with silver inline spinners with Uncommon Bait Neo Pink or Bright Orange UV eggs tipped with shrimp or redworms. 

“The storms on Wednesday and into Thursday have the potential to cause the Buffalo River and creeks to rise. This weekend, at best, I expect we will have dingy water and, at worst, muddy water. If you plan to go fishing, I recommend calling ahead to get an update on river conditions.”

 

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 5-1-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level is still on the rise at 674 feet msl, 15 feet above pool. Water temperature varies around the mid-60s. The bigger creeks have some debris; be careful with floaters as the wind changes direction and the lake rises. Take debris precautions on flooded launch ramps and courtesy docks. Parking has started to become an issue. We have more precipitation in the forecast. The water toward the main lake and the dam is gin clear, while there is color still in the creeks.
Black bass are in all phases of the spawn. Powerfishing shallow has been favorable with clouds, rain, wind and stained water. Some fish are up there roaming shallow. Try a spinnerbait, a Chatterbait and a square bill in bright colors in the dirty water. Target windblown points and flats near spawning coves/pockets. Also look around secondary points, checking the flooded buckbrush. We’re flipping bushes with a worm, lizard or a Beaver-style bait. Fry guarders will fall for a Senko or a floating worm. There are always fish to be caught on a jig such as a Jewel ½-ounce green pumpkin variant on the old brush line. Also try the shaky head, wobble head or a Ned rig. 

The offshore videogamers continue to have to work. The mass of shad are still spread out moving out of the creeks. Target larger bait balls or any bait you can find up high near the surface and closer to the shore. If you are targeting shad eaters, it’s been work. A smaller 2.8 swimbait and or a regular Tater Shad has been working.

Topwater has started with small white Pop-R or Zara Spook. 

“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 5-1-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service says the lake has come up over the buckbrush and is still rising. Fishing in the backs of creeks with stained water has been producing a few fish. Fish over buckbrush with spinnerbaits or a ⅛-ounce jighead with a small swimbait — also, a shallow-running jerkbait such as a Suspending Rattlin’ Rogue will get some bites. If the sun is high, fish a little deeper along the old shore line. 

Walleye seemed to be starting to feed a bit better this week. Fish are scattered along chunk rock points with deep water close by and along steeper creek channel swings that have shad. Some walleye are being caught in open water over the flooded trees. Fishing 4-15 feet of water with jerkbaits or fishing the old shore line in 18-20 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 jerk baits or 5-inch floating stick baits and retrieved back at extremely slow speeds will get some fish.

If trolling shallow, try to fish low-light periods. Trolling size 7 Flicker Shads at speeds of 1.5 to 1.7 mph in 18-20 feet along windblown banks will also work. If trolling deep, try deep-diving crankbaits with snap weights to get your baits down 40-50 feet and fish over the flooded trees in 80-plus feet of water at 1.2 to 1.7 mph 

(updated 5-1-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says crappie are starting to get on the banks making beds where the water temperatures are more stable. Recent rain and muddy rising water definitely have slowed things down but should really improve this week. Small jigs and minnows have been working.

 

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

(updated 4-24-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports that the lake went up to almost 570 feet msl this past week due to heavy rain north of us. It is beginning to drop again and is 568 feet and dropping. The creeks remain stained, the main lake is clean and clear. Strong south winds this last week have turned on the stripers. Stripers have moved to the flats and are feeding heavy, live bait guides are catching some big stripers, my biggest this past Saturday was 30 pounds. The striper was measured, photographed and released. Limits of stripers are now being caught daily.
“The north winds had moved the bait out of the creeks, but the south wind has warmed the creek water and the bait and fish are back. Concentrate on stained water midway back in the creeks, and stay in water depths below 40 feet. 

“The male crappie have moved shallow, 3 feet or less, and are getting ready to spawn.

“Night fishing is going very well. They are staying 10 feet of water and casting parallel to the bank. The best times have been sunset to 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.