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FISHING GUIDE · HEBER SPRINGS, ARKANSAS
Little Red River (Heber Springs, Arkansas) Fishing Guide
The Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam is a cold tailwater with rainbow and brown trout and the history of a former world-record brown. Arkansas sets aside three catch-and-release areas: JFK, Cow Shoals and Mossy Shoals. Water rises fast when the dam generates, so check the schedule and know your way off the river.
📍 North-central Arkansas, below Greers Ferry Dam near Heber Springs in Cleburne County. The trout tailwater runs from 100 yards below the dam down to the Arkansas Highway 305 bridge. Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery is just north of Heber Springs.
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
- On May 9, 1992, Howard 'Rip' Collins caught a 40 lb 4 oz brown trout on the Little Red; the IGFA recognized it as the all-tackle world record.
- Collins' brown held the all-tackle record for almost two decades and was caught on a 1/32-ounce olive marabou jig on 4-lb line.
- Greers Ferry Dam was dedicated in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy.
- Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery opened in 1965 and raises rainbow and brook trout for tailwaters in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.
- Greers Ferry Dam has 2 generating units (110 MW total), with about 7,900 cfs at full power.
What you can catch
- Rainbow trout
Stocked; the only trout you may keep at night. - Brown trout
Big browns live here; the 1992 world-record fish came from this river. - Brook trout
Raised at Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery for Arkansas tailwaters. - Walleye
In Little Red tributaries of Greers Ferry Lake; 20-28 inch fish must be released. - Largemouth bass
In Little Red tributaries of Greers Ferry Lake. - Fish-eating advisory
Do not eat largemouth bass 16 inches or longer from Johnson Hole (South Fork); other fish have no restriction there.
Month by month
| January | Trout fishing all year; check the Greers Ferry (GFD) generation schedule. |
|---|---|
| February | Wade the shoals when generators are off. |
| March | Trout fishing; spring rain can mean more generation. |
| April | Trout fishing. |
| May | Anniversary of the 1992 world-record brown (May 9). |
| June | Check the daily generation schedule; plan wading for no-generation hours. |
| July | Fish early before generation starts. |
| August | Fish early before generation starts. |
| September | Trout fishing. |
| October | Cow Shoals closed to night fishing Oct 1 - Dec 31 (brown trout spawn). |
| November | Cow Shoals night closure continues; browns are on the shoals, handle with care. |
| December | Cow Shoals night closure ends Dec 31. |
Tips
- Check the Southwestern Power Administration schedule for Greers Ferry (GFD); releases are subject to change.
- Learn where the three catch-and-release areas start and end; signs mark them.
- Bring barbless hooks and artificial lures or flies for the catch-and-release areas.
- Small jigs in natural colors work; the record brown hit a 1/32-oz olive marabou jig.
- Stay more than 100 yards below the dam; no fishing, boating or wading is allowed closer.
Rules and license
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) · Official rules page ↗
- Arkansas fishing license plus a trout permit required to fish the tailwater. Fees: check current rules.
- Daily limit 5 trout, only 1 over 16 inches; check current AGFC rules for any brown trout limits.
- JFK, Cow Shoals and Mossy Shoals are catch-and-release areas: release all trout right away, artificial lures or flies only, barbless hooks, no chumming.
- Cow Shoals: single barbless hook per pole; closed to night fishing Oct 1 - Dec 31.
- No fishing, boating or wading within 100 yards of Greers Ferry Dam.
- One rod or pole per angler, attended at all times; bait limited to a single hook point.
- Only rainbow trout may be kept from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise.
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 25 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Dam Site Marina
- Eden Isle Marina
- Heber Springs Marina
Sources
- https://intranet.agfc.com/en/zone-map/fishing-map/657
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/arkansas/002-01-24-Ark-Code-R-011
- https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2018/nov/25/seasonal-regulations-protect-brown-trou/
- https://www.gameandfishmag.com/editorial/worldrecord-rewind-remembering-rip-collins-arkansas-brown-trout/461056
- https://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lakes/Greers-Ferry-Lake/
- https://www.fws.gov/fish-hatchery/greers-ferry
- https://www.energy.gov/swpa/mon.htm
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.