River & Run
Home/Rivers/Norfork River

River guide · Arkansas

Fly Fishing the Norfork River

Short but stout, the Norfork runs only 5 miles before joining the White River, yet Trout Unlimited has ranked it among the top five trout rivers in the country. The 'Princess of Tailwaters' holds cutthroat, brown, rainbow, and brook trout in numbers that defy its modest length, plus a spring caddis hatch that can bring every fish in the river to the surface.

  • 9 shops nearby
See fly shops ↓

When to fish

Year-round

Best months: year-round

  • Best

Blue-winged Olive: January–February, September–October. Cinnamon Caddis / Spotted Sedge: March–May.

Where to fish

Along the Norfork River

Four public access points managed by AGFC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Norfork National Fish Hatchery along this short 4.8-mile tailwater. Quarry Park (just below Norfork Dam) has a boat ramp and wade access; River Ridge Access has a handicap fishing pier. Low water is ideal for wade fishing; watch for generation horn and rising levels.

The water

Tailwater

Key hatches

  • Blue-winged Olive
  • Cinnamon Caddis / Spotted Sedge
  • Sulphurs
  • Midges / Sowbugs / Scuds
  • Terrestrials
Hatch calendar

6-day forecast

Loading forecast

Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Key hatches

  • Blue-winged Olive (January–February, September–October)
  • Cinnamon Caddis / Spotted Sedge (March–May)
  • Sulphurs (June–July)
  • Midges / Sowbugs / Scuds (year-round subsurface staples)
  • Terrestrials — grasshoppers, ants, beetles (mid-June–September)

Fly shops near the Norfork River

Shops and guides that fish the Norfork River. See all 26 Arkansas shops →

9 fly shops shownNorfork River

Species on this water

TroutBassBonefishCarpSalmonSaltwaterSteelheadTarpon

Nearby towns

Mountain HomeCotterBull Shoals

Rivers nearby

White RiverSpring RiverLower Mountain Fork RiverToccoa River
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the Norfork River

Step-by-step tying recipes & videos for these patterns.

Browse patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the Norfork River

Everything you need before the next trip — rods, lines, leaders, and fly-tying materials.

Shop the gear Flies that work

The flies that work on the Norfork River

Find the most effective patterns for where you're fishing — and learn to tie them yourself, step by step.

Find your flies