Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  July 29, 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 29, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 7-30-2026) 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 very cold water, and the anglers love the cool mist that lowers the air temperature by about 15 degrees.

“Catching rainbows has seldom been easier than it’s been the last few weeks, undoubtedly due to the low water we’ve had. The pattern from Bull Shoals Dam continues, with minimum flows (less than 700 cfs) in the morning and a full four or five units (12,000-plus cfs) during the late afternoon/early evening hours. (I don’t like to use the word “pattern” — once we begin to depend on a certain water level, somebody changes it — but it appears one has been established. For now.) The lake level is now 660.13 feet msl, nearly 1 foot below pool level for this time of year.

“Silver blades on an orange or brown Rooster Tail, or a silver Vibrax Blue Fox with an orange or bubblegum pink bell, will bring in a good share. A bronze Colorado Spoon, one-sixth ounce, is always a good choice in lower water.

“The bigger browns have been looking for sculpins and shad. Keep your eye on the tip of your rod for a little tremor and watch that brown snatch your bait. Play it slowly, carefully, no rapid movements, and you’ll be able to net it for a picture. If you are new to fly-fishing, we’ve found the red San Juan Worm or a red-and-silver Midge is a good way to catch your first trout on a fly.

“Come on over and join us as we stay cool angling for a fat, energetic rainbow on the White River.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 7-30-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “With the cooler temperatures late last week, we saw the dams releasing less water with lower water levels over the weekend, with levels as low as 2.5 feet. With the rise in temperature early this week, we are seeing water rising in the morning to as high as 8 feet and then dropping throughout the day. Fishing remains good with drift-fishing using silver inline spinners; Uncommon Bait UV eggs and shrimp are working well.

“During the lower water we were seeing success with lures such as the Thomas Colorado quarter-ounce spoons in nickel/gold, Rapala CD7 in brown trout and Dynamic HD Trout in ghost brown.

“This week, we have seen several stockings, with 1,400 rainbows stocked here at the Calico Rock boat ramp, and additional stockings at Mt. Olive and Sylamore Creek, and 3,500 stocked between Shipps Ferry and Red’s Landing using the AGFC stocking raft.”

 

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 7-30-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that water temp was up to 89 degrees, give or take. The lake level is still holding at 660 feet msl. The dangerous heat wave looks like it’s about to give us a little break. The powerfishing is slow; you better have wind/clouds/rain/stain. There are some fish up shallow with oxygen levels getting low. Try a Plopper, spinnerbait and Chatterbait on shallow windblown bushes on flats close to ledges. You also better get up early and beat the heat. The topwater bite has slowed a bit; try a Spook or popper-type lure. Try a small, white regular Tater shad or a Mooch over treetops. The Jewel Shad Spoon is working if they are busting the surface; you can bomb that thing on a spinning rod. Take your favorite minnow to look at them. “I’m using a one-eighth-ounce.”
“If the conditions are postfrontal, flat water, high pressure, blue birds, hot and Sunny just let ’em have it. But if you decide to grind it out. it will get tough. Lots of guys are going at night to beat the heat. I will  slow down, downsize and get off the bank, 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. The Jewel five-eighths-ounce football jig in green pumpkin orange, PB&J or Bass Whacker. Off deep points, traditional bass fishermen are looking at long points and ledges and dragging big red worms or craw baits in brushpiles, over timber tops on bluffs and bluff ends. Try shallow stuff with deeper water close by. There are fish from the surface down 50 feet as they move deep and suspend 30-40 feet, especially if there is shad around. Graph time pays off as usual. There is a thermocline down around 30 feet. It’s the time of year to keep moving, hitting as many spots as possible. Remember” “Fish the Conditions!”

 

(updated 7-30-2026) 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 27-32 feet of water, and deeper in 35-40 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 and drop-shotting live crawlers around the offshore side of brushpiles in 25-35 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 30-35 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph seems to work best.

 

(updated 7-30-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports that the crappie have been pretty scattered mainly in the creeks on brush, sometimes really deep in it. Fish have gotten really finicky at times, so moving is key. One-eighth-ounce  jigs with Small Fry bait like Tater Baits Crown Royale 101 over the fish works sometimes, and minnows as well.