Cotter Trout Dock Weekly Fishing Report

  August 26, 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 26, 2026.
 
White River

Cotter Area

(updated 8-27-2026) Cotter Trout Dock (870-435-6525) said, “We’re enjoying a week of respite from the heat here in Cotter with just a little cooler days to close out the summer. Bull Shoals Lake is 3 feet below power pool at 657.80 feet msl. The dam continues its pattern of minimal releases through the day, until the late afternoon spike of around five units (15,000 cfs).

“We’re catching the heck out of rainbows — credit the decreased keep level or the slower traffic during the annual back-to-school interval, but whatever the reason, it’s been a lot of fun! Anglers have been bringing in healthy, brightly colored trout using spinners with gold blades and olive/brown skirts. We’ve seen more jig anglers over the past month than ever before; one-eighth or one-sixteenth-ounce brown or olive-peach jigs are the ticket. Or try your favorite Rooster Tail with a rainbow body and a bright pink tail.

“As always, the brown trout are gobbling up sculpins, minnows and soft-shell crawdads, but it never hurts to keep your options open and carry an array of baits to pique their curiosity.

“Come on in and share the news; see you on the river.”

 

Calico Rock Area
(updated 8-20-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “This week we have seen depths as high as 8-plus feet in the morning and dropping throughout the day with depths as low as 4 feet overnight. The morning water has been dingy with the water clearing up throughout the day. In the mornings we have seen the guides run upriver to meet the dropping water and fish back to the dock and then in the afternoon fishing downriver. 

“This week we have done better without an inline spinner. Instead using a No. 2 hook with Uncommon Bait UV eggs and tipping the hook with shrimp. Artificial lures such as Rapala Countdowns CD7 or Dynamic HD Trout have worked well for larger rainbows and brown trout and. as an added bonus. We are seeing some nice smallmouth bass being caught. 

“Within the last week the AGFC stocking raft stocked 2,100 rainbows between Norfork and Chessmond Ferry and another 1,400 rainbows between Chessmond Ferry and Calico Rock. We received one additional stocking at the boat ramp, but I didn’t get those numbers.”

 

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 8-27-2026) Fishing guide Del Colvin at Bull Shoals Lake said Wednesday that water temperature is around 85 degrees. The lake level is down another foot from last week, sitting at 657 feet msl. “The bite hasn’t changed much at all. The bite is a little slow. Powerfishing is still slow; it’s better with wind/clouds/rain/stain. There are definitely some fish up shallow with oxygen levels low. Look for shallow brush and flip a Beaver, jig or worm in the backs of creeks with any kind of flow. If it’s the right conditions, you will most likely notice baitfish. Throw a Toad, buzzbait or Plopper-style bait on shallow windblown bushes on flats; cover water!

Better get up early and beat the nasty heat. The topwater bite has slowed but is not done. If you are finding surface activity, use a big Zara Spook. Those who are fishing have noted schools moving in and they are fast. The Jewel Shad Spoon is working. Or you can take your favorite minnow to look at them. Del says he’s using a one-eighth-ounce up high now, or going deep with a three-eighth-ounce Tater.

If the conditions are postfrontal, flat water, high pressure and bluebirds, it will get really tough. Lots of guys are going at night to beat the heat. Del says he will slow down, downsize the bait and get off the bank and look at deep ledges and brushpiles and bomb-cast with lighter fluorocarbon line. He suggests trying a drop-shot with a Robo in suspended schools. Also try the Jewel half-ounce Football Jig in green pumpkin orange, PB&J or Bass Whacker.
Sitting off of deep points, traditional bass anglers are dragging the long points and ledges with big red worms or craw baits in brushpiles or around timber tops on bluffs and bluff ends. 

There is a thermocline down around 32 feet. Lots of fish are holding around this depth, he reports.

“It’s that time of year to keep moving, hitting as many spots as possible. Hang in there; fall is coming. Remember: ‘Fish the conditions.’”

(updated 8-27-2026) Southernwalleye Guide Service (501-365-1606) said there have been no significant changes in walleye fishing patterns this last week. Summer patterns are still in play. Fishing has been fair to good this past week. They have been running a little water through the dam in the afternoons and this has helped the bite pick up a bit more. Fish 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 seen next to brushpiles still seem to be located 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 still been the key to picking up better-sized 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. Casting 

jigging spoons in the white, chrome or blue, and jigging Rapalas in the blue and chrome half-ounce to three-quarter-ounce size, into 27 feet of water and working it back out into 35 feet has been working. Drop-shotting live crawlers around the offshore side of brushpiles in 30-35 feet is also 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 point 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. Troll in 35-40 feet of water at speeds of 1.8 to 2.2 mph for best results. 

Summertime patterns are still in play. Fishing has been fair to good this past week. They have been running a little water through the dam in the afternoons and that helps the bite pick up a bit more. Fish 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. Walleyes 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 has been the key lately 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 8-27-2026) Crappie 101 Guide Service (870-577-2045) reports that little has changed. Crappie are mainly on brush from 20-30 feet in the creeks. Minnows have been best lately.