March can still throw a curve, so come prepared for all kinds of weather conditions.” Bull Shoals Lake is at 652.81 feet msl elevation, 6 feet below normal power pool. Generation over the past three days through Wednesday has been slow — mostly minimum flow (700 cfs) but rising to four units (12,000 cfs) or more at times.
“The trout bite will pick up when water releases settle to a steady amount. Keep your egg patterns handy, along with wriggling redworms. Drifting shrimp and PowerBait while letting the current move you downstream should stir some excitement in the rainbow community. Silver-and-blue hammered spoons are a springtime fave with the rainbows, too.
“While the rainbow bite has been good, the brown catch has been phenomenal. Most were enticed with a sculpin, but shad is always a great temptation for the browns.
“Spring break is upon us, and one of the best places for family connection and wholesome time together is on the White River making new memories. Come on over and experience trout catching at Cotter on the White River in the Arkansas Ozarks.”
Calico Rock Area
(updated 3-5-2026) Dave McCulley, owner of Jenkins Fishing Service in Calico Rock, said, “We are seeing consistently low water around 2.5 feet with an occasional spike as high as 5 feet. Due to the low flow, we aren’t seeing much success drift-fishing with spinners, eggs and shrimp. Quarter-ounce Thomas Colorado Spoons in nickel/gold have been very effective for rainbow trout. We have seen many nice 15-inch-plus rainbows with great color. Dynamic J-Spec in ghost rainbow and brown trout, Dynamic HD in ghost brown, or Rapala Countdown CD7 in brown trout or rainbow trout colors have all worked well for browns and rainbows — and as an added bonus, we are seeing nice smallmouth and largemouth bass being caught.
“With the rains coming in, we could see some dingier water, but don’t expect to see any significant rise to the river.
“Wednesday morning, we received a stocking of 1,100 rainbows from the Jim Hinkle Spring River State Fish Hatchery, with additional stockings scheduled for Chessmond Ferry and Reds Landing. Also on Wednesday, we received an additional stocking of rainbows from the Norfork National Fish Hatchery.”
