Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 5, 2026

More reports and other videos are on the Cotter Trout Dock Youtube Channel Page.
Below is the Arkansas Game and Fish Fishing Report August 5, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 8-6-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said Bull Shoals Lake is at 659.56 feet msl, about 1.5 feet below the established goal of 661 feet msl. Releases from the dam satisfy power demands and have been nominal, sticking to their recent pattern of minimum flows during the late evening and throughout the morning hours, followed by a quick rise to almost five units (15,000 cfs) in the mid- to late afternoon.

“The brown trout bite is a little tricky right now. Patience wins out and is required to get the browns’ attention. Soft-shell crawdads are a favorite, in addition to the familiar sculpin. Consistent water levels have allowed the trout to settle down into a normal feeding routine, so early morning and early evening are the best times for reliable catches. 

“Float your bait just above the bottom — best to keep it in or near the river channel during low-water generation. The changes in water level will naturally necessitate revamping your bait and placement; cast a live worm or a dandy San Juan Fly near the bank as the water rises.

“Lose the shrimp for now. Seems the rainbows prefer yellow and orange PowerBait sans shrimp this week. Chartreuse baits are causing a stir, too; look for Rooster Tails with chartreuse bodies, Vibrax spinners with chartreuse bells, and chartreuse worms. “Keep angling naturally in the Natural State; we’ll see you on the river.” 

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 8-6-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “Other than on Sunday, we have seen water levels rising in the mornings with dingy water and cresting around mid-morning at about 7 feet. Our guides have been running several miles upriver where the water level has started to drop and water is cleaner, and then fishing back toward Calico Rock. Drift-fishing with Uncommon Baits UV Neo Pink eggs and raw shrimp has worked well for catching rainbows. Fishing near the banks with Rapala Countdown CD7 rainbow trout or brown trout colors or similar lures worked well for larger rainbows and browns. Afternoon fishing has been good.  

 

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 8-6-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that water temp took a drop down to 82 degrees. The lake level has dropped about a foot to 659 feet msl. The powerfishing is slow; you better have wind/clouds/rain/stain. There are some fish up shallow with oxygen levels getting low. “I have noticed some floaters this week; this is normal. If it’s the right conditions, use a (Whopper) Plopper, spinnerbait or Chatterbait on shallow, windblown bushes on flats. You also better get up early and beat the heat. The topwater bite has slowed; try a Spook or popper-type lure if you find surface activity. Don’t be fooled by the gar.

“Try a small, white regular Tater shad or a Mooch over treetops. The Jewel Shad Spoon is working; you can bomb that thing on a spinning rod. Take your favorite minnow to look at them. I’m using one-eighth-ounce.”
“If the conditions are postfrontal, flat water, high pressure, blue birds, time to take a swim. 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, and 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 will work off deep points. Traditional bass anglers are dragging the long points and ledges with big red worms or craw baits in brushpiles, over timber tops and on bluffs and bluff ends. There is a thermocline down around 30 feet. Lots of fish are holding around this depth. It’s that time of the year to keep moving, hitting as many spots as possible. Remember: Fish the conditions.”

(updated 8-6-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said summertime 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 close to the sharper drop-off. “Walleye we’re seeing 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 shallower in the early mornings and on cloudy days in 30-32 feet of water, and deeper in 35-40 feet of water if there is little or no wind or cloud cover. This is working: cast jigging spoons in white or chrome, blue spoons, or jigging Rapalas in blue and chrome, in half-ounce to three-quarter-ounce sizes, into 27 feet of water and work it back out into 35 feet. Also, drop-shotting live crawlers 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 35-40 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph seems to work best. 

(updated 8-6-2026) 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 work sometimes, and minnows will work as well.