Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 12, 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 12, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area
(updated 8-13-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “Early morning hours on the river are abundantly blessed with a little bit of chill to counteract the afternoon August heat. Trout catching remains good to very good with sunshine and high heat forecast for the next week; no precipitation is predicted. Bull Shoals Lake is a foot and a half below power pool, offering steady minimum flow over the last week with spikes up to five units (15,000 cfs) in the evening.

“Rainbows have been feisty and hefty, paying most attention to flashy baits; silver/black Rapala CD5s are a good bet. Thomas Buoyant Hammered Spoons (especially blue/silver) continue to cause a stir.  Can’t beat the white PowerBait topping a pink worm if you’re drifting over the shoals. Jigs continue to entice a rainbow or two; find the right color combination for the day and you’ll be busy netting a bunch. The mossy green/peach D2 is winning this week.

“For the best catches of brown trout, try a sculpin drifted near the bottom — they’re definitely hiding out in the deeper holes right now. You’ll never know how good an air-filled nightcrawler works until you try it. Get a worm blower, fill a worm with air, float it out there, watch the action. Repeat.

“Make sure to drink plenty of water during the day. Come visit Cotter; catch some rainbows and enjoy the beauty of our Natural State.” 

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 8-13-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we have seen depths as high as 7 feet or more in the morning and dropping throughout the day with depths as low as 4 feet overnight. With the lower water, we are seeing greater success using artificial lures such as Rapala Countdowns (brown trout or rainbow trout colors), Dynamic J-Specs (glimmer trout and brown trout), Dynamic HD Trout in ghost brown and Thomas Colorado quarter-ounce spoons in nickel/gold. As always, silver inline spinners with Uncommon Bait UV eggs tipped with shrimp worked well.
“This week, the AGFC stocking raft stocked 2,400 rainbows between Calico Rock and Mt. Olive and another 1,600 rainbows between Mt. Olive and Sylamore Creek.” 

 

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 8-13-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that water temp is still lower than in recent weeks, sitting at 83 degrees. The lake level is steady at 659 feet msl. “The bite hasn’t changed much at all. Powerfishing is still slow; you better have wind/clouds/rain/stain. There are some fish up shallow with oxygen levels getting low. If it’s the right conditions, use a Toad Buzz or Whopper Plopper on shallow, windblown bushes on flats. Better get up early and beat the heat. The topwater bite has slowed, but try a Zara Spook or popper-type lure if you find surface activity. Also try small, white regular Tater Shad or a Mooch over treetops. The Jewel Shad Spoon is working. 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. Cut it down. Setting off of 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 32 feet. Lots of fish are holding around this depth. It’s that time of year to keep moving, hitting as many spots as possible. Remember: Fish the conditions.”

(updated 8-13-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service said summertime patterns are still in play. Fishing has been fair this past week. 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 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. Fishing slow this past week has been the key to picking up better-size fish. 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.

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 8-13-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service reports not much has changed. Crappie are mainly on brush from 20-30 feet in the creeks. Minnows have been best lately.