Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  May 21, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report May 21, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area

(updated 5-22-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “School’s out for the summer and families are headed for the great outdoors in The Natural State. There’s nothing complicated about fishing with a boy or girl, especially here on the White River in Cotter. Cast a line, hook a trout and make a lifetime of memories. The trout bite this week has brought excitement to kids of every age.

“The Bull Shoals tailwater has remained low over the last several weeks with Bull Shoals Dam holding back water releases to help downstream farmers. The lake level is slowly rising, sitting at 682.72 feet msl as of Wednesday afternoon, so we expect ample releases in the coming weeks. For now, we’re catching more than a fair share of rainbows with spinners and spoons, best with silver or gold Cleos, and best in the morning. You can experiment with shrimp or with various colors of floating eggs and you’ll bag a bunch, but the action will be faster when you use them together.

“Brown trout catches continue to delight the anglers around Cotter, mostly with live bait taken from the river (minnows, crawdads, sculpins), but we heard that more than one brown was hooked with a nightcrawler, sometimes improved with the use of a worm blower.

“Enjoy the rest of spring with the best The Natural State has to offer: trout-catching on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks. Come visit Cotter’s website (linked above) for more information or to schedule a trip.”

 

Calico Rock Area

(updated 5-22-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “The weather and river conditions are not doing us any favors. The rain storms early Monday night caused many creeks and the Buffalo River to rise and become very muddy. As a result, we saw water reach over 12 feet and be extremely muddy Tuesday and Wednesday in Calico Rock. Neither Norfork or Bull Shoals Dams are releasing much water. Combined with more rain through this weekend I expect the river will remain muddy. 

“The best bet to catch trout in these conditions is to move up into the creeks where there is cleaner water, tie off to the bank and fish with corn.  Not the most exciting fishing but there have been days where we’ve seen boats catch over 100 fish. Late last week, we received a stocking of 1,000 rainbows at the Calico Rock boat ramp.”

 

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 5-22-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday the lake level still on the rise at 682 feet msl. Water temperature is 72 degrees, give or take. 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 become an issue as boat ramps and parking areas are now underwater. The marinas are trying their best to accommodate everyone. Toward the main lake and the dam the water is gin clear, while there is color still in the creeks.

“Bass are in post-spawn. I do think we did get a little wave of spotted bass and largemouths. Powerfishing shallow has been fair with clouds, rain, wind and stained water. Use spinnerbaits, Chatterbait and a square bill in stained water. Target windblown points and flats near spawning coves/pockets. Also look around secondary points, checking the flooded buckbrush, though flipping bushes has slowed. Fry guarders will fall for a 5-inch 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 shoreline, try the shaky head, wobble head tube or a Ned rig.

The offshore videogamers continue to have to work. The mass of shad is 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 the shad spawn. Del likes the Lucky Craft Gunfish or a small white Pop-R-style or Zara Spook Jr.-type bait.

“Good luck, have fun, be safe and ‘Fish the conditions.’”

(updated 5-22-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said that with the passing fronts this week, walleye fishing has been fair to good with fish being caught over buckbrush with spinnerbaits or a quarter-ounce to ⅜-ounce jighead with a small swimbait, or on a jerkbait. If the sun is high, fish a little deeper along the old shoreline. Fish are scattered along rounded points with deep water close by and along steeper creek channel swings that have shad. Fishing the shoreline in 18-20 feet of water with spinner and crawlers has been working week. A jig and crawler slowly worked along in 25-30 feet at the edge of the flooded brushline will catch some, as well as with a half-ounce spoon or Ice jigs worked in the same area.
If trolling shallow, try to fish low-light periods. Trolling size 7 Flicker Shads at speeds of 1.5-1.7 mph in 18 -20 feet along windblown banks will also work. Some walleye are also being caught in open water over the flooded trees. If trolling deep, try deep-diving crank baits with snap weights to get you baits down 60-70 feet and fish over the flooded trees in 80 feet or more of water at 1.5-1.7 mph.

(updated 5-22-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says crappie are still pretty scattered. We’re finding some where structure is in that 15- to 20-feet zone, but we’re having to do a lot of searching as there’s not a lot in that zone at this lake level. Minnows are doing the best currently. Cover lots of water and stay patient.

 

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

(updated 5-22-2025) Tom Reynolds of STR Outfitters guides out of Tracy Ferry Marina and reports the lake has risen to 569 feet msl, 16 feet over normal pool. The creeks remain stained, but the main lake is clean and clear. The stripers are very aggressive as the threadfin shad spawn continues. The threadfin spawn and the weather have been inconsistent — rain, wind and temperature fluctuations have been the big factor in how the shad react each morning. The striper bite is strong; the best is small threadfin shad, as the stripers feed on them as they spawn. The best bites have been in the Blue Lady area of the lake. The best technique is long lines with a small split shot and threadfin shad. The stripers are very aggressive when they strike the bait, so make sure your rod is secure.
“I had a surprise when I was scouting a new area for stripers. We had a very strong bite, and the fight was on. I was sure it was a 20-pound striper, but was shocked when I netted it. The fish was a 15-pound drum. We released it to fight another day.
“Now that the full moon is over, we should have outstanding striper fishing for the next several weeks. So come and catch a big striper.”

 

Buffalo National River
(updated 5-22-2025) Fish ’N Stuff said they are hearing from a lot from angling customers doing well on the Buffalo in recent days. They are catching smallmouth bass in 2-4 feet of water and throwing a Ned rig with a green pumpkin, worm-style bait or creature bait on about a ⅛-ounce chartreuse jighead. Also, they are catching them on small, white ⅛-ounce Rooster Tails, or a 2½-inch green pumpkin tube with 1/8-ounce jighead. And don’t leave without trying a 4.5-inch Robo Worm in Morning Dawn color with a ⅛-ounce weight for a successful outing.