Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  November 5, 2025

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report November 5, 2025.


White River

Cotter Area
(updated 11-6-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said White River anglers are finding plenty of rainbows and browns willing to leave the comfort of their favorite hidey-holes. We can expect mostly low releases from the Bull Shoals Dam since the lake is about 5 feet below power pool. Average releases for most of the week have been 3,000 cfs, but we’ve seen some early pulses of up to four units (12,000 cfs). Watch for rises later in the morning and stay ahead of it for the best fishing.

Flashy gold Cleos should work well in this water, as well as the silver-blue hammered spoons. Orange PowerBait has been the popular bait for the rainbows because it mimics the eggs from spawning activity. Catch a sculpin or two to put on your hook for brown trout bait, and don’t be surprised if your pink worm (San Juan or Berkley) catches the eye of a feisty one.

Remember that the catch-and-release area below Bull Shoals Dam is closed from Nov. 1-Jan. 31 to preserve the brown trout spawn; this includes some special regulations near the State Park, too. The browns are in mid-spawn now; if you’re able to net one, be especially careful and return it healthy and fighting back to the river.

The weatherman promises cold mornings but milder daytime temperatures for the next week, so pick up your rod and reel, get outside and come join us on the river. Bundle up in the morning and enjoy the excellent late fall fishing.

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 11-6-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we continue to see low water around 3.5 feet and rising to around 5 feet. Artificial lures continue to work, such as quarter-ounce spoons and Rapala CD7 in brown trout or rainbow trout colors. Drift-fishing with Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp also resulted in consistent fishing. 

“These fall days with cool mornings and warm afternoons have been nice, but looks like we’ve got some frigid temperatures moving in early next week. This week we received one stocking of rainbow trout. This stocking was a mixed bag, with some smaller 8-inch fish with larger 12-inch-plus fish.”

 

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 11-6-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level continues to slowly fall, reaching 654 feet msl. The water temperature drop has the temp now at 66 degrees, give or take. Late fall/early winter patterns are taking shape. Shad are starting to get grouped up. Crawfish are starting to get active on the bank. A SPRO Rock Crawler in red is working on chunk rock and ledges and bushes in the wind. “We’re powerfishing covering water with wind/clouds. Use a spinnerbait, square bill or Chatterbait if there’s wind/clouds. If it’s flat and the sun comes out, get off the bank and try a shaky head on secondaries with trees and brushpiles. There are always fish to be caught on a jig, such as a Jewel half-ounce jig. Try green pumpkin and brown with orange variants.”
On the bluff ends, bluff swings and long runout points along the channel, try pulling off ledges. Stay around 5-15 feet early, then out to 30-35 feet. 

The shad are starting to get grouped. Graph time will pay off this time of year. Try a drop-shot for bluebird, post-frontal suspended fish out on the points and bluffs. Use a smaller 2.8 Tater Shad, dead-sticked, or shake a minnow if they are up active. A half-ounce Jewel Shad Spoon is working great in those schools if they ignore your minnow. As water cools and they get deeper, a Rapala Jigging Rap is good. Each day is still a little different. “Fish the Conditions.”

(updated 11-6-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye fishing methods have not changed much this past week. Daytime fishing has been slower this week due to the passing fronts and the full moon. As the water temperature keeps coming down, it will only get better. 

The walleye are starting to set up in small schools on main lake and secondary channel swing points. If the sun is high with light wind, fish away from the boat’s shadow. Try fishing in 15-50 feet of water by snap-jigging a jig and half of a crawler or drop-shotting a live crawler. Also, try using a ⅜-ounce to 1-ounce white or chrome jigging spoon or a No. 7 Rapala-type ice jig in the same colors. (The Jigging Rapala has been working well by vertical-fishing them in the 35-55 feet depths.)

The daytime trolling bite has slowed down this past week. However, a few are still being caught in the early morning and late evening. When trolling, try a 5-inch jerkbait like Rattlin’ Rogues or a Rapala Husky Jerk. Trolling in 8-15 feet of water at 1.2 mph seems to be a good speed at this time to get a reaction bite. Fishing a 110+1-style jerkbait in 8-15 ft of water on the main lake, secondary points and steeper-sided channel swing banks where the wind has been blowing into is where the fish are holding.