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River guide · Arkansas

Fly Fishing the White River

Below Bull Shoals Dam, Arkansas's White River is a trophy tailwater for brown and rainbow trout, fishable year-round.

See fly shops ↓

When to fish

Year-round

Best months: year-round

  • Best

Midges: year-round. Blue-winged Olive: spring & fall.

Today's conditions

Where to fish

Along the White River

Below Bull Shoals Dam there are numerous access points and boat ramps from the dam down through Cotter and Wildcat Shoals; low-water wading and drift-boat floats both produce.

The water

Tailwater

Key hatches

  • Blue-Winged Olive
  • Hendrickson
  • Light Cahill
  • March Brown
  • Sulphur
Hatch calendar

Conditions

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6-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Hatch calendar

Months each hatch is active on the White River, with hook sizes and local timing notes.
Hatch · hookJFMAMJJASOND
Blue-winged Olive(mayflies)hook #14–20spring & fallAprilMayAugustSeptemberOctober
Hendrickson(mayflies)hook #12–14AprilMay
Light Cahill(mayflies)hook #14–18AprilMayJuneJuly
March Brown(mayflies)hook #12MayJune
Sulphur(mayflies)hook #16–18MayJuneJuly
Midge(midges)hook #18year-roundJuneJulyAugustSeptember
Golden Drake(mayflies)hook #8AugustSeptember
White Fly(mayflies)hook #10AugustSeptember
  • Mayflies
  • Midges
  • This month
Also on this water
  • Caddisspring
  • Sowbug / Scudyear-round
  • Sculpin / Streamerswinter, for big browns

Timing from Big Y Fly Co's White River hatch chart ↗. Notes are local timing; dates shift a couple of weeks with weather and water.

Fly shops near the White River

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

12 fly shops shownWhite River at Cotter

Species on this water

TroutBassBonefishCarpPikeSalmonSaltwaterSteelheadTarpon

Nearby towns

CotterFairviewBull Shoals

Rivers nearby

Norfork RiverSpring RiverLower Mountain Fork RiverToccoa River
From The Fly Bench

Tie the flies that work on the White River

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

Browse patterns at The Fly Bench
Gear up

Gear up on the White 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 White River

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

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