Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  November 12, 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 12, 2025.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 11-13-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said fishing for trout continues to be a primary draw to the White River even though some outdoors lovers are in the woods hunting instead of on the river fishing — that leaves more for those of us catching trout. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is maintaining a catch-and-release-only policy for the tailwater below Bull Shoals Dam to the confluence with the North Fork River until next February. Give us a call if you have questions, or check the agfc.com website for details. The Bull Shoals Lake tailwater continues to offer all-day action for anglers and the catch continues to satisfy our anglers.

Bull Shoals Lake is over 5 feet below the power pool and dropping; generation from the dam is now averaging minimum flow with quick pulses of up to three units for a couple of hours on some days. It’s the right time of year to switch to orange, white and/or sunrise colors for your egg pattern flies or PowerBait. With the lower flows you’ll want to keep your bait in the main channel and as deep as possible without snagging. Remember to watch out for, and be courteous to, fellow anglers, be they in a boat, on the shore or wading nearer the action in the river.

The brown bite remains spawn-season fickle; your best bet is to get your hands on fresh river minnows or varied sizes of sculpins and dangle them near the bottom.

You’ll enjoy your fishing adventures much more if you come prepared for Arkansas weather extremes. This past week we experienced a few mornings with temperatures near freezing, but this upcoming week looks great with mild lows and afternoon temps reaching the 70s.

Autumn colors are popping up all around us and we’ve been treated to some perfect fall days. Whatever the weather, we know we’re blessed to be here in The Natural State and always look forward to meeting fellow trout lovers.

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 11-13-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said he’s had no change this week in the conditions or the fishing. They’ve continued to see low water around 3.5 feet and rising to around 5 feet. Artificial lures will 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 have resulted in consistent fishing. 

 

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 11-13-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the level continues to fall about 1 foot a week and now is at 653 feet msl. The water temperature dropped to 63 degrees, give or take. The late fall early winter patterns are taking shape. Post-front days are always going to be tough. Shad are starting to get grouped up here and there. 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. Del is powerfishing covering water wind/clouds. A spinnerbait, square bill or Chatterbait is best if there’s wind/clouds. There is a little topwater but definitely has slowed down. 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 colors with orange variants on the swings. On long run-out points along the channel try pulling off ledges. Start out 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. A smaller 2.8 Tater Shad dead-sticked or shake a minnow if they are up active and a regular half-ounce Jewel Shad Spoon, Scuba Spoon, Jewel LiveScope Spin, Ice Jig Rapala – “they are all working; day to day they will prefer one over the other, especially if they ignore your minner. As water cools and they get deeper, each day is still a little different. Fish the conditions.” 

(updated 11-13-2025) 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. As the water temperature keeps coming down, fishing will only get better. 

The walleye are set up in small schools on main lake and secondary channel swing points. Also check creek channels where you locate shad balls as the walleye are following them as they move with the wind and water flow.

If the sun is high and the wind is light, fish away from the boat’s shadow.

Try fishing in 15-35 feet of water by snap jigging a jig and half of a crawler or drop-shotting a live crawler. Also 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 35-45 feet depths.)

A few fish are still being caught trolling early morning and late evening. When trolling, try a 5-inch jerkbait like Rattling Rogue or Rapala Husky Jerk. Trolling in 8-15 feet of water at 1.2 mph seems to be a good speed to get a reaction bite. Also try fishing a 110+1-style jerkbait in 8-15 feet of water on the main lake, secondary points and steep-sided channel swing banks where the wind has been blowing into where the fish are holding.