Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  September 17, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report September 17, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area

(updated 9-18-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Trout fishing the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks near Cotter is the best way to remember and experience a mellow September. Between the rush of school starting and before holiday busyness, carve out some time to come float the river; shake off the world for a day or two. Catch rainbows (trout and otherwise) and see if you can’t hook into a lunker brown or two.”

Releases from Bull Shoals Dam are at one unit or less (3,000 cfs) with a burst in the late evening bringing the river level to 16,000 cfs (five units) for an hour or two. The lake is slowly dropping and currently is at 660.52 feet msl.

Wade anglers will find many accessible locations. Be alert and always have an exit plan if you see a change in water level. John boaters will find it slow and go, a must-stay in the main channel of the river. There’s lots of fishing waters here (and lots of trout); share the space and extend a hand to fellow anglers.

Any pink, scented egg bait (Berkley PowerBait or XFactor) and shrimp are reliable baits to provide a lot of action for rainbows. Peach and brown flashy baits (⅛-ounce marabou or D2 jigs, 1/8-ounce), gold Cleos or bronze Colorado Spoons were a sure bet this past week. Catch a sculpin and bait your hook for browns. Crawdads are still causing a stir and should be great bait for at least another month before it gets too cold.

“Good luck, enjoy the catch, and we’ll see you on the river!”

 

Calico Rock Area

(updated 9-18-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said this week they have seen depths as high as 7 feet in the morning and dropping throughout the day with depths as low as 4.5 overnight. “With the lower water we are seeing greater success using artificial lures such as Rapala Countdowns (brown trout, silver or rainbow trout colors), Dynamic J-Specs (glimmer trout, brown trout or silver) and quarter-ounce spoons (Thompson Colorado Spoons in nickel/gold or Thompson Bouyant Spoon in rainbow trout colors).

“As always, inline spinners with Uncommon Bait UV eggs tipped with shrimp worked well. Tipping a hook with corn or red wiggler worms also worked.
“This week we received one stocking of 2,000 rainbows at Calico Rock, with another 3,000 rainbows split between Norfork and Reds Landing.”

 

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 9-18-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level is 660 feet msl, almost normal pool and still dropping. Water temperature is 80 degrees.

Bass fishing overall is fair. Fall bass fishing patterns are starting. It’s best to get up early to look for surface activity; there are shad balls high toward the surface. Topwater has been hit or miss; try a small popper-style or Spook in natural colors. Del says he’s a fan of the Lucky Craft Gunfish.

With the shad migration into the creek, there are still shad on the main lake, but also the mouths of the creeks. Fish ledges, points, bluffs and swings. For powerfishing, a Whopper Plopper and buzz bait are good covering water on the bank, or a toad-style bait if it’s sunny. Fish the conditions; follow the wind.
Largemouth bass are really grouped up. Powerfishing shallow in the creeks is still hit or miss. The shad are heading that way. It’s good when we get some clouds and rain coming in. The ole Big Red Worm, Texas-rigged, or a shakey head in trees and brushpiles will work. There are always fish to be caught on a jig, like, long runout, points along the channel, try pulling off ledges.

A lot of the suspended fish are pulling onto the points and brushpiles around the thermocline at 30-35 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 from swings and ledges off the bank with a drop-shot for bluebird, post frontal suspended fish. Use a smaller 2.8 swimbait or shake a minnow if they are up active, and a regular Tater Shad on suspended fish. A half-ounce Magic Jigging Spoon will come in handy.

“Fall junk fishing has started. Make the best of it.”

 

(updated 9-18-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye fishing methods on the lower end of the lake have not changed much again this week. The fish remain in a pretty active feeding mood. Large schools of fish are in and around the thermocline on gravel main lake points and secondary points with deeper water close by. Lots of smaller walleye and limits of nice legal-size walleye are being caught. If the sun is high and wind is light, fish just a little deeper and away from the boat. Fish in 28-38 feet of water with spinnerbaits and crawler rigs with small Colorado or a Mack’s Smile butterfly blade, or work a jig and crawler or drop-shot a live crawler. A half-ounce to 1-ounce white or chrome jigging spoon, or No. 5 Rapala Jigging Rap in the blue chrome color, at those depths has been working as well.

When trolling, try a size 5 or 7 Flicker Shad or size 9 Flicker Minnow, and also a half-ounce Hot n Tot, in 28-38 feet of water. Trolling at 1.7 to 2.0 mph seems to be a good speed at this time to get a reaction bite.

 

(updated 9-18-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says fish are still scattered but showing up on brushpiles in the 20- to 25-feet range. The bite has definitely been on the finicky side; minnows have been best lately.

 

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

(updated 9-18-2025) Tom Reynolds said recently that the lake was scheduled to reach its normal pool level on Sept. 15. With the very hot weather and warm water, along with low oxygen conditions on Norfork, Tom was not planning to provide updated reports until conditions improved.
In his most recent report in August, Tom had said the stripers appeared stressed due to low oxygen and hot water. At that time, the lake water was in the high 80s, almost 90 degrees, late in the afternoon throughout most of August. The oxygen level has been very low for this time of year, and the oxygen will only get worse as the lake is lower and with little rain. Based on history, the stripers will shut down, and the bite will continue to decline unless the oxygen bubble bursts.
The stripers were beginning to shut down earlier in August; they kept moving to deeper water, but the oxygen was very low for this time of year.

“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.”