Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  June 17, 2026

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report June 17, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 6-18-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “The Arkansas Ozarks haven’t missed out on the heat wave that’s moving across the country, but we have the gem of the White River to cool us down. The trout love that cold water and the anglers love that cool mist, which lowers the air temperature by at least 10 degrees. The pattern from the dam continues with lower flows in the morning around one unit (3,000 cfs) and large flows (15,000 or more cfs) during the late afternoon. The lake level is 664.12 feet msl, 2.5 feet above seasonal pool.
“Catching rainbows has seldom been easier than it’s been the last few weeks. Silver blades and orange/brown skirts on a Rooster Tail, or a silver Vibrax Blue Fox with a silver, orange or bubblegum pink bell, will bring in a good share of trout. A nickel/gold Colorado Spoon, one-sixth ounce, is always a good choice in lower water.
“The bigger browns have been looking for sculpins or even a fat, floating nightcrawler during rising water. Keep your eye on the tip of your rod for a little tremor and watch that brown snatch your bait; play it slowly and carefully, no rapid movements, and you’ll be able to net it for a picture.
“Come on over and join us as we stay cool angling for a fat, energetic rainbow on the White.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 6-18-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “Before the rains on Saturday, fishing was consistent using silver inline spinners, Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp. Some guides have reported limited success using artificial lures, but the fish that were caught were nicer 18-inch-plus rainbows and browns. 

“The rains on Saturday caused flash floods on the Buffalo River and Crooked Creek, resulting in the muddy water arriving Sunday afternoon. By this Wednesday the river was dingy but fishable. The weather forecast has chances of rain throughout the remainder of this week into next week. Hopefully we don’t get too much at any one time. 

“Both Bulls Shoals and Norfork Lake levels are above the power pool, and we have seen increased water releases from both dams. We have seen kayakers make what is normally a 6-to-7-hour float into a 4-hour float. If you are on the river in a kayak or canoe, remember to never approach a dock from the upriver side, we’ve seen and heard of too many kayaks and kayakers getting pushed under a dock. With both Beaver Lake Dam and Table Rock Lake Dam opening their floodgates, Bull Shoals Lake will continue to rise. 

“On Thursday the AFGC stocking raft stocked from Norfork down to Calico Rock.” 

 

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 6-11-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake, said Wednesday that Bull Shoals Lake’s level is still on the rise and has reached 661 feet msl, a foot shy of normal pool through July 15. It’s not a lot of jump in water from last week with the rain, but watch out for debris. Water temperature is around 78 degrees. The powerfishermen are enjoying some flooded bushes, doing fine on the right day (wind/clouds/rain/stain) by deep cranking in 2-15 feet, burning a spinnerbait and Chatterbait on shallow flats, ledges and transition banks in stained water. 

Better get up early and beat the heat, as summer is starting to heat up. The topwater bite can be good covering water with a Zara Spook-style bait or poppers. Once that bite slows, try a small Tater Swimbait or Mayor 2.5 in natural shad-imitation colors. 

“I’ve been using the Big Spoon! A Jewel Shad Spoon is also hot right now if they are busting the surface. Or try your favorite minnow to shake around the shad. 

“If the conditions are post frontal, flat water, high pressure, blue birds, hot and sunny, just go home and take a nap. If you grind it out it will get tough. I will slow down, downsize and get off the bank and look at deep ledges and brushpiles, then bomb-cast with lighter, fluorocarbon line.
“You can try a drop-shot with a Robo, finesse a Jewel Pee-wee Jig in green pumpkin orange, or use a Bass Whacker in green pumpkin. Also try a shaky head.
“It’s time to focus on summer areas. Start looking at long points and ledges, and fish them with big red worms in brushpiles, on timber tops, bluffs and bluff ends. Try the shallow stuff with deeper water close by. There are fish from the surface down 50 feet as they move deep and suspend in 30-40 feet, especially if there is shad around. Graph time pays off as usual. Remember: ‘Fish the Conditions!’ 

(updated 6-11-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said walleye fishing this past week has been very good, depending on the weather. Summer patterns are in play. Some fish are moving with the shad in the old river channel and creek channels, while more seem to be holding on flatter points with deep water on one side. Look for fish on long points close to the channel swings. Main lake and secondary points have been producing fish during the day.
Fish shallow in the early mornings and on cloudy days in 20-25 feet of water and deeper in 35-45 feet of water if there is little or no cloud cover. Casting jigging spoons in white or chrome color and jigging Rapalas in the blue and chrome half-ounce size into 20 feet of water and working the spoon back out into 35 feet has been working.

Bottom-bouncing orange or gold No. 3 Colorado or Willow Leaf Blade spinner rigs and crawlers around sides and tips of points close to the channel are producing a lot of short fish as well as some good 18- to 23-inch walleyes.

If trolling, try shad-style and small banana-style baits like No. 7 Flicker Shads or No. 9 Flicker Minnow in natural colors. It seems to work best if they’re trolled in 25-35 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph.

The open water trolling bite has still been slower this week, but some bigger fish are still being caught. If you can find the shad, fish deep-diving crankbaits like Bandits, Rapala Tail Dancers (size 11) and Reef Runners a couple of 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 6-11-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service says crappie are still on brush and structure in creeks in that 15- to 20-foot range mostly. Quality is still mainly mixed up. The jig bite has been a little slower, and so have minnows at times. Cover water until you find the ones that want to bite.