Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  July 22, 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 22, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 7-23-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “We’re finally getting those Arkansas summertime temps we’ve avoided so far — from blissful to blazing hot. The early morning hours on the river continue to be blessed with a little bit of chill that counteracts the afternoon heat. Bull Shoals Lake is at power pool now, so they are conserving the water in the lake: We are seeing minimum flows (700 cfs) during the morning, rising to over five units (15,000 cfs) in the afternoon with the lake level at 660.64 feet msl. 

“The rainbow catch has been fabulous: They’re snapping up the shrimp and egg combo, and we’re continuing to see success with bubblegum pink worms and Berkley PowerBait mouse tails. Rooster Tails with silver blades and pink or white bodies are causing a stir, too. Good sizes among the catch, too, many measuring 16 inches or above.

Artificial bait recommendations: spoons and spinners for this low water. Gold Cleos are a staple on the White River, and a gold or silver Blue Fox is a good choice. This is also a great time for jig fishing — olive or crawdad-olive/orange jigs are on order this week.

“Keep a variety of live bait on board for the browns. Sculpins, redfin minnows and crawdad tails deliver well. Baits should be kept close to the bottom and to the sides of the main channel, or a deep hole, for the browns.

“Thanks for sharing our love of the north Arkansas Ozarks in The Natural State. Drop in when you visit Cotter.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 7-23-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we are seeing the river crest between 8-9 feet before dropping throughout the day to 5 feet. The water releases are based on electrical demand with more water released during the day and dropping overnight. Fishing remains consistent, with us seeing some better-than-average-sized rainbows being caught. 

“We continue to have success drift-fishing using silver inline spinners with a No. 2 hook with two Uncommon Bait Neo Pink UV eggs and tipped with shrimp. Rapala CD7 brown trout and Dynamic HD Trout in ghost brown continue to provide results with some 16-inch-plus rainbows and 20-inch-plus brown trout being caught.” 

Last Thursday the AGFC raft stocked from Norfork to Calico Rock. This week the raft stocked 4,000 rainbow trout from Calico Rock to below Sylamore Creek. In addition there was a stocking of over 1,400 rainbow trout at Red’s Landing. 

 

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 7-23-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake, said Wednesday that lake water temperature is about 87 degrees and the lake level is holding at 660 feet msl. “It’s been flat-out hot! The powerfishing is slow — you better have wind/clouds/rain/stain and fish a Plopper, spinnerbait or Chatterbait on shallow bushes on flats close to ledges. Better get up early and beat the heat. The topwater bite has slowed a bit. Try a Spook or poppers. Once the bite slows and the sun rises, try a small white regular Tater Shad over treetops. A Jewel Shad Spoon is working if the bass are busting the surface. Take your favorite minnow to look at them. I’m using an one-eighth ounce.

“If the conditions are post-frontal, flat water, high pressure, blue birds, hot and sunny just jump in.
“But if you decide to grind it out, it will get tough. Lots of guys are going out at night to beat the heat. I will slow down, downsize and get off the shoreline, look at deep ledges and brushpiles, and bomb casts with lighter fluorocarbon line. You can try a drop-shot with a Robo in suspended schools. Fish the Jewel five-eighths-ounce football jig in green pumpkin orange, PB&J or Bass Whacker off deep points. 

“Traditional bass anglers dragging big red worms are looking at long points and ledges. Use big red worms or craw baits in brushpiles and timber tops on bluffs and bluff ends. Look for shallow stuff with deeper water close by. There are fish from the surface down 50 feet as they move deep and suspend at 30-40 feet, especially if there is shad around. Graph time pays off as usual. There is a thermocline down around 32 feet. 

“The scuba divers are posting up on the points to spear-fish. Watch out for diver flags and be sure to give them their space. Remember: Fish the conditions! 

(updated 7-23-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said fishing has not changed much again this past week. Summertime patterns are holding. Fishing has been good to excellent. 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 close to the sharper drop-off. Walleye seen 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 to three-quarter-ounce, 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 30-35 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 all 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. Trolling in 25-35 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph seems to work best.
There is a deep-water trolling bite but it is sporadic and fish are deep — 60-70 feet has been the target depth and 1.8 mph has been the target speed. Using deep-diving crankbaits like the No. 11 Rapala Tail Dancer, Reef Runner 800 series or Bandit Deep Divers are catching a few fish. 

(updated 7-23-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports that they are still finding most crappie scattered throughout the creeks on brushpiles in that 20-25 feet range. The quality is still 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 jig being hit-and-miss depending on the day.