Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 27, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report August 27, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 8-28-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “We’re enjoying the cooler summer here in Cotter with a week of respite from the heat. Bull Shoals Lake is 7 feet above power pool, so we’ve been seeing varying amounts of generation — anywhere from 12,000 cfs to 18,000 cfs (three to six generator units).

The rainbow catch has been phenomenal. Angler have been bringing in some healthy, brightly colored trout using spinners with gold blades and olive/brown skirts. Or try your favorite Rooster Tail with a rainbow body and a bright pink tail. An eighth-ounce jig with white, white-gray or orange-black skirts bobbed in the center channel will attract a few, or rig a line with some Orange PowerBait and shrimp to keep you busy reeling.

“Float your bait just above the bottom — you can easily see the riverbed in the clear water of the White.

“Red/gold Thomas Buoyant spoons, the gold Cleo and one or two stick baits (Smithwicks with orange bellies are a tried-and-true favorite) are tackle box staples on the White.

“Can’t keep the browns away from sculpins, minnows and soft-shell crawdads. Keep your options open and carry an array of baits to pique their curiosity.

“Respect the resource, and your fellow anglers, and continue to enjoy our Natural State. Keep anglin’ and we’ll see you on the river.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 8-28-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, Bull Shoals Lake is less than 8 feet above the power pool while Norfork Lake is less than 4 feet above the power pool. Over the last week we have seen water levels cresting around 9.5 feet in the mornings before dropping down to 8.5 feet. Fishing has been consistent, with drift-fishing with silver in line spinner with a No. 2 hook with two Uncommon Bait UV eggs (neo pink is working best) and tipped with shrimp. We are starting to see more success with Rapala Countdown CD7 brown trout colors and the Dynamic J-Spec Glimmer Trout. The brown trout bite has been good the last week.”

 

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 8-28-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the water level has dropped to 669 feet msl, only 10 feet above normal pool and dropping fast! Water temperature is about 85 degrees (give or take) with the cooler weather and shorter days. The dropping pool level is starting to make ramp access and parking easier. A shoutout to the marinas and volunteers at the courtesy docks who have been doing a great job of accommodating everyone while the water was so high and covering up access areas and parking lots.

Bass fishing is fair. Best suggestion is to get up early and look for surface activity. Topwater has been hit or miss. Try a small popper-style bait or Zara Spoon-style bait in natural colors. Del says he’s a fan of the Lucky Craft Gunfish. Fish around ledges, points, bluffs and swings. The Plopper and buzzbait bite should pick up once the lake generation slows. Those sunfish will pull up. Fish are still in the summer areas.
Largemouth bass are really grouped up. Powerfishing shallow in the creeks is still hit or miss. The baitfish are pulling back. The ol’ Big Red Worm, Texas-rigged, around trees and laydowns and 15-25 feet on points is working. 

There are always fish to be caught on a jig or Jewel half-ounce PeeWee, or try green pumpkin variants. Treetops on the bluffs, ends of bluffs, long runout points along the channel. Try pulling off ledges. A lot of the suspended fish are pulling onto the points around the thermocline at 28-32 feet.

The shad are spread out from the backs of the creeks to the main lake. Feeding windows seem to be short-lived; better capitalize on it when it starts. 

Target larger schools offshore covering water off rom swings and ledges off the bank with a drop-shot for bluebird, post-frontal suspended fish. A smaller 2.8 swimbait or minnow if they are up active, and a regular Tater Shad on suspended fish. A half-ounce Magic Jigging Spoon will come in handy. “Fish the conditions. Summer equals half-day trips.”

(updated 8-28-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye fishing on the lower end of the lake has not changed much this past week. The fish have been in kind of a neutral feeding mood. Small pods of fish are in the thermocline on gravel main lake points and secondary points with deeper water close by. Lots of small walleye and some limits of legal-size walleye are being caught. If the sun is high, fish just a little deeper and away from the boat. What’s been working is fishing in 28-33 feet of water with spinnerbaits and crawler rigs or working a jig and crawler or half-ounce to 1-ounce white or chrome jigging spoons at those depths.

When trolling, try a size 5 or 7 Flicker Shad or size 9 Flicker Minnow, as well as a half-ounce Hot n Top, in 28-35 feet of water. Trolling at speeds of 2.0 to 2.5 mph seems to be a good speed to get a reaction bite.

(updated 8-28-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says fish are still scattered but showing up on brushpiles in the 20-25 feet range. The bite has definitely been on the finicky side. Minnows have been best as of late. Put the work in.

 

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

(updated 8-28-2025) Tom Reynolds says the lake is at 562 feet msl and slowly falling. The lake is scheduled to reach its normal pool level on Sept. 15.
In his most recent report, the stripers appeared stressed due to low oxygen and hot water. The lake water has been in the high 80s, almost 90 degrees, late in the afternoon. The oxygen level is very low for this time of year, and the oxygen will only get worse as the lake is lower and with no rain. Based on history, the stripers will shut down, and the bite will continue to decline unless the oxygen bubble bursts, which usually happens around Labor Day.
The stripers were beginning to shut down earlier this month; they kept moving to deeper water, but the oxygen has been very low for this time of year. “We are in desperate need of rain and cooler weather to get the water temp down.

“The best opportunity for stripers will be the upper section of Norfork, where the river ends and the lake begins. Cool water continues to flow south, but heavy rains would cause the stripers to migrate as the water cools. Right now, you can entice them using very active live bait. They do not seem to be interested in spoons or swimbaits right now.