Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  July 1, 2026

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report July 1, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 7-2-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “A day on the river offers the opportunity to spend some quiet, one-on-one time with your kids. Enjoy the early-morning river mist with temperatures in the 60s, add some great trout-catching action and you’ll make memories that will last a lifetime. When the afternoons warm up, you can dip your cap in the river or wet a hand towel in the cold clear water, lay it across your shoulders and keep angling.

“Bull Shoals Lake elevation measured 664.63 feet msl Wednesday with morning releases continuing at around three units (9,000 cfs) before rising to 12,000 cfs or more in afternoon. Releases will likely remain higher for power generation during this heat streak. The lake is about 3feet over power pool level.  Stay hydrated (low caffeinated, high electrolyte drinks).

“Browns have been hiding in the deep holes, coming out to the scent of a sculpin or the call of a crawdad tail. Rainbows are less picky; they’re always attracted to the pink and white PowerBait mouse tail worms, and they’ll nibble at shrimp and live red worms when the water is rising. It’s fun to drop a D2 Trout Magnet peachy jig, eighth-ounce is best, and see what comes up.

“Stop in and say ‘hey’ when you’re in town. Enjoy the day. “It’s fun to watch the rainbows follow the spinners — try a three-sixteenth-ounce Blue Fox Spinner with a red bell or the bleeding frog Rooster Tail. We found that bleeding frog pattern in a Thomas Buoyant Spoon and worked it for several catches. Yellow and sunrise PowerBait are bringing in the rainbows with or without a morsel of shrimp added to the mix.

“Come on over, get out of the house and enjoy the cool of the river in the beautiful Natural State and the Arkansas Ozarks.” 

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 7-2-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we continue to see water depths between 7.5 to 9.5 feet. We continue to have success drift-fishing using silver inline spinners with a No. 2 hook with two Uncommon Bait UV eggs and tipped with shrimp. The key is to get the bait to the bottom. If needed, add an additional size 7 split shot 8-12 inches above the hook.

“Rapala Countdowns in CD5 or CD7 in brown trout and rainbow trout colors have worked well when fishing near the bank. The guides are reporting having to move around to find the fish and then catching a few before the bite dies, and they move again. 

“Even with Norfork Dam opening some of the spillway gates, the water is in good condition. Enjoy your Fourth of July Holiday and be safe on the water.”

 

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 7-2-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday, “We’ve got another Big Lake Holiday. With the lake level up, watch out for some debris. Some parking and camping areas are being affected, so phone first.

“Water temperature is 82 degrees, give or take. Nothing has changed as far as the fishing from last week, and I’m out of town this week, but will continue updates next week.

“The powerfishermen are up in the flooded brushes doing fine on the right day (wind/clouds/rain/stain) using buzzbaits, Whopper Plopper, spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits on shallow bushes on flats close to ledges and transition banks. There is stained water still in the backs of creeks.

“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 or popper-style lure. Once that fireball rises up and the topwater bite slows, try a small Tater Swimbait or Mayor 2.5 – both are working natural shad imitation colors. I’ve been using the big spoon! A Jewel Shad Spoon is 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 with flat water, high pressure, bluebirds, hot and sunny, just jump in. 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 and bomb-cast with lighter fluorocarbon line. You can try a drop-shot with a Robo, or finesse a Jewel Pee-Wee Jig in green pumpkin orange. Or a Bass Whacker is working in green pumpkin. Or also try a shaky head worm.

“Fish are favoring summer areas, so start looking at long points, ledges and fish big red worms or craw baits in brushpiles, timber tops and on bluffs and bluff ends. Fish 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. 

“I’m only doing half-days now unless we get a major cold front. The scuba divers spearfishing are out and about; watch out for diver flags and be sure to give them their space. And remember: Fish the conditions. And everyone have a safe and happy Fourth!”

 

(updated 7-2-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said fishing this past week has been fair to good. Summer fishing patterns are holding. Walleye are holding on flatter points with deep water on one side.

Look for fish on the tips of long points as well as the sides that are close to the sharper drop-off. Walleye located next to brushpiles seem to be situated on the offshore side of the brushpiles where deep water is closer. Main lake and secondary points have been producing fish during the day.

Fish shallow in the early mornings and on cloudy days in 24-30 feet of water, and deeper in 35-45 feet of water if there is little or no wind or 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 it back out into 35 feet has been working. Also, spooning around the offshore side of brushpiles in 27-30 feet is working well.

Bottom Bouncing orange, chartreuse or gold No. 3 Colorado deep cup blades, or brass or gold willow leaf bladed spinner rigs, and crawlers around the sides and tips of points close to channel swings are producing a lot of short fish as well 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. Trolling in 25-35 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph seems to work best . 

 

(updated 7-2-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports that “we are still finding most crappie scattered throughout the creeks on brushpiles in that 20- to 25-foot range. Quality is still mainly mixed up in a lot of places and the bait is starting to sit on structure with the fish, which normally makes it get a little tougher in places as the summer goes on. Minnows have been best lately, with the jib being hit -and-miss depending on the day.”