Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  May 20, 2026

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report May 20, 2026.

White River

Cotter Area
(updated 5-21-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “The merry month of May has been good to we trout anglers on the Bull Shoals tail waters of the White River. The water level has been low during morning and early afternoon hours, with late afternoon releases bringing a rush of cold, clear water for a whole different fishing

adventure. Bull Shoals Lake level shows a small increase from our recent rains, now recorded at 655.85 feet msl.

“Lots of success with spinners and spoons on the low water, best in the morning. The sparkle from gold or silver Cleos is attracting really nice-sized rainbows, and the nickel/gold Colorado or a one-sixth-ounce Rooster Tail with a gold blade is hard for the trout to resist. You can experiment with shrimp or with various colors of floating eggs and you’ll bag your keep quantity, but the action may be faster when you use them together.

“Brown trout catches continue to delight the anglers around Cotter, mostly with live bait taken from the river (minnows, crawdads, sculpins), but we heard that more than one brown was hooked with shrimp and PowerBait. Pumped up nightcrawlers will surprise the trout and their bite might surprise the angler. Try it during slight rises in the water level.

“Be the early worm and get to the river while it’s still cool and the mist hangs low over the water. We welcome you to White River and continue to enjoy our Natural State.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 5-21-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “For the bulk of the week, we continue to see great fishing. Quarter-ounce Thompson Colorado nickel/gold spoons remain our go-to lure but we also see a lot of people drift-fishing with eggs and shrimp. Additionally, CD5 Rapala Countdowns in rainbow trout or brown trout colors, Dynamic J-Spec or HD lures in ghost brown or rainbow trout continue to work well.

“The rain we received Tuesday did result in dingy water on Wednesday. There is rain predicted for several days over the next week. I believe if the rain is spread out enough we won’t see significant rise in water levels but I do expect we will see dingy water.

“Last week we received a stocking of 1,200 rainbows from the Jim Hinkle Spring River State Hatchery at the Calico Rock boat ramp. I was told on the same day they stocked at Norfork, Red’s Landing, Chessmond Ferry, Mt. Olive and Sylamore. Always good to see stockings spread out over the 36 river miles from Norfork to Sylamore.”

 

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 5-21-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that the lake level is still holding at 655 feet msl (4 or so feet below normal pool). Water temp 70 degrees give or take. The power fishermen are doing fine on the right day (wind/clouds/rain/stain) deep-cranking in 2-15 feet drains. Use a spinnerbait or Chatterbait in the stained water. There are still signs of shad spawn; get up early.   Try topwater in the early morning covering water with a Zara Spook-style lure or poppers. Once that bite slows, try a small Tater Swimbait or Mayor 2.5 — they are working in natural shad imitation colors. “I’ve been using the Jewel Shad Spoon if they are busting the surface, or use your favorite minnow to shake around the shad. If the conditions are like cold fronts, flat water, high pressure, blue birds and sun, it will be tough. I will slow down, downsize and get way off the bank, look at deep ledges and brushpiles and bomb-cast with lighter fluorocarbon line. Try a finesse Jewel Pee-Wee jig in green pumpkin orange, or a Bass Whacker is working a green pumpkin. Shaky head, Neko rig and a Ned are also working.”

“It’s time to check summer areas. Start looking at long points, ledges, brushpiles, bluff ends with deeper water close by. While some will be moving in on the sunfish spawn, most seem to be heading out with the shad. The tube wobble head bite is still going out off the points. The post-spawn fish have a tendency be finicky and some move deep (30-40 feet) to recover, especially if there is shad around. Graph time pays off, as usual. Remember: ‘Fish the Conditions!’”

(updated 5-21-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said the walleye fishing this past week has not changed much and has been good for the most part. Summer fishing patterns are setting up more each day.

Some fish are still moving with the shad in the old river channel and creek channels, and more seem to be holding on flatter points with deep water on one side than last week.

Look for fish on long points close to the channel swings. Main lake and secondary points have been producing a few fish during the day.

Fish shallow during the early mornings and on cloudy days in 20-25 feet of water and deeper in 35-45 feet water if there is little or no cloud cover.  Casting jigging spoons and jigging raps in the half-ounce size into 15 feet of water and working it back out into 35 feet has been working.

Bottom Bouncing spinner rigs and crawlers around point close to channel is a pattern producing a few fish and is improving.

If trolling try shad-style and small banana-style baits like No. 7 Flicker Shad or No. 9 Flicker Minnow in natural colors. Trolling them in 25-35 feet of water at speeds of 1.7 to 2.0 mph seems to work best.

The open water trolling bite has been fair to good. If you can find the shad, fish deep-diving crankbaits like Bandits, Rapala Tail Dancers size 11, or Reef Runners a couple feet above where you mark them on the graph. Trolling over the flooded forest along the old river channel will get some nice fish this time of year.

(updated 5-21-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service  says crappie are all mixed up sitting in brush in creeks in that 20-foot range, from what we’re seeing. Try a ⅛-ounce jig with Tater Baits’ Crown Royale as well as minnows.