Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  October 1, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report October 1, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 10-2-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Autumn in the Arkansas Ozarks, with cool mornings and warm afternoons, invites you to the White River where the trout fishing has been phenomenal. Water releases from the Bull Shoals Dam into the tailwater have been steady throughout each day for the last week: lower flow during the morning followed by higher generation in the afternoon.”

Rooster Tails with white bodies and skirts, gold blades, are producing good catches. If you’re not getting the desired result, turn to a dark-colored skirt, mud brown, olive green or even black, depending on the area of the river you’re fishing. Any of a variety of spoons will bring some rainbows to your net — the Thomas Buoyant red/gold and silver/blue, one-sixth or quarter-ounce, or the brass and nickel/gold Colorados.

If you favor wriggling worms and chunky nightcrawlers on your hook, wait until later in the day when the afternoon releases are increasing the river level and keep your bait near the bank. The favorite PowerBait color is slowly switching from yellow to orange as we move closer to the spawn (Nov. 1). Mornings are already a little chilly, so bundle up when you head out for some great trout-catching.

“It’s breathtakingly beautiful here in The Natural State during October, so share the resource and enjoy the company of fellow anglers — take care of one another, respect the resource and share the space. Hope to see you on the river this week. ‘Fish Natural!’”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 10-2-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This last week we have seen levels around 7 feet in the morning and dropping below 5 feet during the day. Tuesday and Wednesday we saw higher water starting around 8 feet and dropping to 5 feet. Fishing has been great this week with Thompson Colorado quarter-ounce spoons in nickel/gold being the best lure. We also saw success with Rapala Countdown CD7 in rainbow trout colors. As usual, silver inline spinners with Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp worked well.
“This week we received one stocking of 2,400 rainbow trout.”

 

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 10-2-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday night he’s catching bigger fish on the topwater, but not a lot. Whopper Plopper, buzzbait, toad and Zara Spook are working. Then, if it gets tough, he’s moving to the drop-shot.

Lake level is still at 659 feet msl and the water temperature also hasn’t changed, hanging around 79 degrees (give or take). Bass fishing overall has been up and down — one day good and the next day they are stubborn. “Welcome to fall fishing.”

The turnover has started. Bass fishing patterns are changing by the minute. The shad have started the fall migration into the creeks. It’s best to get up early to look for surface activity. There are shad balls high toward the surface down to 45 feet now. Topwater is getting better. Del says he’s going to get up for lowlight and cover water. As mentioned above, a Plopper and buzzbait on the bank, a toad and a Spook-style bait if it’s sunny. Fish the conditions and follow the wind. 

Largemouth bass are really grouped up. If you’re lucky you might get more than one up there.

Powerfishing conditions with wind and clouds. Use a spinnerbait, square bill of Chatterbait if there’s stain toward the backs of creeks. The shad are headed that way. 

If the sun comes out try a shaky head in trees and brushpiles. There are always fish to be caught on a jig, like a Jewel half-ounce PeeWee. Try a green pumpkin orange variant on bluff ends, bluff swings, long runout points along the channel. Try pulling off edges. Start at 15 feet early and then out to 30-35 feet. 

The shad are spread out from the backs of creeks out to the main lake. Look for larger groups of shad close to structure. Feeding windows seem to be short-lived. Try a drop-shot for the bluebird, post-frontal suspended fish out on the points and bluffs. A smaller 2.8 Tater Shad is a good one, or shake a minnow if they are up active, and a regular, half-ounce Skinny Minnow Spoon will come in hand.
“Fall junk fishing has started. Make the best of it and ‘fish the conditions.’”

(updated 10-2-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye have been in a negative to neutral feeding mood. The walleye seem to be scattering out and following the bait instead of holding on spots for any amount of time. If the sun is high and the wind is light, fish away from the boat’s shadow. Try fishing in 30-40 feet of water by snap-jigging a jig and half of a crawler, or drop-shotting a live crawler. Also using a three-quarter-ounce to 1-ounce white or chrome jigging spoon, or a Rapala-type Ice Jig in the same colors. 

When trolling, try a size 5 or 7 Flicker Shad or size 9 Flicker Minnow. Trolling is best in 28-38 feet of water or just above the depth level where you locate the shad. Trolling at 1.7 to 2.0 mph seems to be a good speed at this time to get a reaction bite.

(updated 10-2-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says not much has changed. Crappie are on structure in the creeks. There is a lot of mixed quality and short fish mixed in. One-eighth-ounce Tater Baits Big Ego color in the small fry has worked even on this finicky bite, depending on the day. Catching some on minnows, but it’s definitely slow and steady for the bite at best.