FISHING GUIDE · ARKANSAS & MISSOURI

Bull Shoals & the White River Fishing Guide

Bull Shoals is a big, clear Ozark lake known for largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass, walleye and crappie. Cold water released from the bottom of the dam turns the White River below it into one of the best-known trout rivers in the country, with rainbow, brown, cutthroat and brook trout. River levels rise and fall with power generation at the dam, so always check the schedule before you go.

📍 Arkansas/Missouri border. Lake towns include Bull Shoals, Lakeview and Mountain Home, Arkansas, and Theodosia and Pontiac, Missouri. The trout tailwater runs below Bull Shoals Dam past Cotter, Arkansas.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Ozarks & Mid-South map →

Quick facts

Bull Shoals Dam on the White River was finished in 1951 (work began in 1947).
The lake covers about 45,000 acres at normal pool and is up to about 210 feet deep.
About 90 miles of trout water run downstream from Bull Shoals Dam.
The Arkansas state-record rainbow trout, 19 lb 1 oz, came from the White River near Mountain View on March 14, 1981.
Trout are not native to Arkansas; hundreds of thousands are stocked in the White River each year.

What you can catch

Rainbow trout
The most common catch on the White River; stocked heavily.
Brown trout
The trophy fish of the river; strict 24-inch minimum.
Largemouth bass
Lake fish; MDC expects good numbers over 17 inches.
Spotted bass
Plentiful in the lake; few top 15 inches, good fish to keep.
Smallmouth bass
Rocky points and banks; MDC asks anglers to release them.
Walleye
Good numbers in the lake, many 18-20 inches.
Crappie
Jigs and minnows over brush piles in spring and fall.

Month by month

January	Trout: browns are spawning; drift beads or egg flies below the spawning beds. Lake: bass sit deeper, 30-40 ft, on jigs and plastics.
February	Trout: some of the biggest fish of the year come Jan-Mar; the catch-and-release area below the dam reopens Feb 1. Lake: bass deep; bad weather days often fish best.
March	Lake: walleye on jerkbaits, jigs and live bait; crappie start biting jigs and minnows. Trout: big-fish season continues.
April	Lake: bass move shallow to rocky points, banks and channel swings; walleye bite picks up. Trout: spring caddis hatches; flows can change a lot.
May	Lake: shallow bass on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and worms; walleye near shore chasing shiners. Trout: caddis dries and nymphs.
June	Lake: bass slide back to 30-40 ft; walleye feed on crawdads and worms near the bottom, so try nightcrawler rigs. Trout: fish deeper runs.
July	Lake: troll spoons, nightcrawler rigs or crankbaits near the thermocline for walleye. Trout: fish the coldest water near the dam or the Norfork confluence.
August	Lake: deep summer pattern for bass and walleye. Trout: deep-running lures or flies along the bottom.
September	Lake: walleye still good into early fall. Trout: dam releases often steadier; good wade fishing.
October	Lake: bass move back shallow; crappie good on jigs and minnows. Trout: fish spread out along the whole river; Oct 31 is the last day for the catch-and-release area below the dam.
November	Trout: the area right below the dam closes Nov 1; browns are caught-and-released only in the State Park stretch. Lake: bass shallow in early winter.
December	Trout: dead shad washing out of the lake draw big trout near the dam; jerkbaits, shad and egg patterns. Lake: early-winter shallow bass on rocky banks.

Tips

Check the dam generation schedule before every trip: predicted schedules post daily around 3 p.m. at swpa.gov/generationschedules.aspx; call 870-431-5311 for current generation or 866-494-1993 for projected generation.
Water can rise fast with no warning. Downstream at Rim Shoals you cannot hear the dam horns; mark a spot on the bank to watch the rise and leave yourself time to get out.
Use only artificial lures or flies with barbless hooks in the catch-and-release areas; no natural or scented bait.
Cold weather often means steady power generation; dress warm with insulated boots, gloves and a hat for winter trips.
Clean, drain and dry your boat and gear before moving to another lake to stop zebra mussels.

Rules and license

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC); Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) for the Missouri side of the lake · Official rules page ↗

White River from 100 yards below Bull Shoals Dam to the Hwy 58 bridge at Guion: trout daily limit 5, with only 1 trout over 14 inches.
Brown trout and cutthroat trout: 24-inch minimum, 1 per day. Brook trout: 14-inch minimum, 1 per day.
No fishing, boating or wading within 100 yards of Bull Shoals Dam.
Bull Shoals Dam catch-and-release area (100 yards below dam to the upstream State Park boundary): open Feb 1-Oct 31, all trout released.
Nov 1-Jan 31: the stretch from 100 yards below the dam to the State Park trout dock wing dike is closed to fishing and wading; from the wing dike to the park's downstream boundary all brown trout must be released, and no fishing from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
Rim Shoals catch-and-release area near Cotter: all trout released.
Catch-and-release areas: artificial lures or flies only, barbless hooks, no natural or scented bait, no chumming.
One rod per angler on the trout water, and you must attend it.
White River Border Lakes License ($10 a year) lets Arkansas or Missouri resident license holders fish both states' waters of Bull Shoals, Norfork and Table Rock lakes; it does not cover trout possession.
Missouri side: walleye and sauger have an 18-inch minimum on Bull Shoals Lake and its Missouri tributaries.

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 13 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Buffalo City
Cranfield Marina
Highway 125 Marina
Sugarloaf Harbor Marina

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.