Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  November 19, 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 19, 2025.

White River 

Cotter Area
(updated 11-20-2025) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Peace and quiet reign on the river, even as holiday noise, excitement and sometimes chaos fill the airways elsewhere. Trout fishing the White River waters around Cotter in the Arkansas Ozarks in the late fall can be chilly, but cold weather fishing has lots of advantages — not the least of which is feeling like you’ve got the river to yourself. You might not see another angler for an hour or two, but you’ll always see some rainbows and very likely a brown or two.”

Bull Shoals Lake is 5 feet below its desired elevation for the season (659 feet msl), sitting at 653.64 feet msl. Dam generation has been running at minimum flow (700 cfs) round the clock. But remember, generation is based mainly on power demand, so be careful while wading because power demands have added up to 15,000 cfs at times this week.

Orange has been the color of choice this week, orange and brown flashy baits: gold/orange Cleos, or Blue Foxes with an orange/red bell. It’s great water for jig fishing, peachy moss colored jigs or white with silver tinsel. Sculpins are always a must for browns, but we’ve also seen some biting on river minnows this week.

“As we work through this catch-and-release mandate on the river, please be gentle with these trout when you release them back for others to catch. Working together, we’ll get through this with a healthier resource than ever before.

“When planning your winter fishing trip, study the predicted nighttime low temps as well as the daytime highs. Assume that your day will start at the lowest temperature from the night before, and it may even be several degrees colder on the water. Layer up and you’ll enjoy your trip a whole lot more. We look forward to seeing you.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 11-20-2025) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said that over the last week, “we have seen water as low as 2 feet, with most days only rising to 4 feet. This has made for some great fishing using artificial lures such as quarter-ounce Thompson Colorado Spoons in nickel/gold or red/copper. Rapala Countdowns in the shallower-diving CD5 (rainbow trout and brown trout colors) worked well. Also, with the lower water, we have seen fishermen have success fly-fishing. There has not been much action with the normal drift-fishing using Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp due to the slow current. 

“On Wednesday we saw more water due to increased flow from Bull Shoals Dam on Tuesday afternoon and Norfork Dam during the day Wednesday. Depending on how much rain we get Thursday there is the potential we could see dirty water into the weekend.
“We hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving with family and friends next 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 11-20-2025) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level is steady at 653 feet msl, while the water temperature is still 63 degrees, give or take. The early winter patterns are taking shape. Post-front days are always going to be tough. It should be interesting with torrential downpours in the forecast this week. Shad are starting to get grouped up here and there. Loons are showing up. Crawfish are slowly starting to get active on the bank. A red SPRO Rock Crawler is working on chunk rock and ledges and bushes in the wind. Good time for powerfishing, covering water in wind/clouds. A spinnerbait, square bill or Chatterbait is good if there’s wind/clouds. Topwater has definitely slowed down. If it’s flat and the sun comes out, get off the bank and try a minnow on secondaries with trees and brushpiles close to the shad. 

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 swings. On long run-out points along the channel, try pulling off ledges; start out 5-15 feet early, then move out to 30-35 feet. 

The shad are starting to get grouped. Graph time will pay off at this time of year. We need it to cool down. Try a drop-shot for bluebird, post-frontal suspended fish out on the points and bluffs. Go with 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 and Rapala Ice Jig are all working day to day — they will prefer one over the other depending on the day, especially if they ignore your minnow. As water cools and they get deeper, each day is still a little different. Fish the conditions.

(updated 11-20-2025) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye fishing methods have not changed much this past week. The passing cold fronts have slowed, but have not stopped, the bite. As the water temperature keeps falling, 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 Ice Jig-style bait in the same colors. (The Jigging Rapala has been working well by vertical-fishing it 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 a Rattling Rogue or 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. Try fishing a 110+1-style jerkbait in 8-15 feet of water on main lake and secondary points, and steeper-sided channel swing banks, where the wind has been blowing into and where the fish are holding.

(updated 11-20-2025) Crappie 101 Guide Service says crappie are scattered in the creeks. Lots of smalls, while bigger crappie are tending to be in the outer creeks and main lake brush. A 1/16-ounce jig and small fry are working as well as minnows.