July 22, 2026 Arkansas Trout Fishing Report

Pictures taken July 15, 2026 thru July 22, 2026. More Reports at http://www.cottertroutdock.com/arkans... Our website is : http://www.cottertroutdock.com We're finally getting those Arkansas summertime temps we've avoided so far — from blissful to blazing hot. The early morning hours on the river continue to be blessed with a little bit of chill that counteracts the afternoon heat. Bull Shoals Lake is at power pool now, so they are conserving the water in the Lake: we are seeing minimum flows (700 cfs) during the morning, raising to over five units (15,000 cfs) in the afternoon with the lake level at 660.64 feet msl. The rainbow catch has been fabulous: They’re snapping up the shrimp and egg combo, and we’re continuing to see success with bubblegum pink worms and mouse tails. Rooster tails wth silver blades and pink or white bodies are causing a stir, too. Good sizes among the catch, too, many measuring 16 inches or above. Artificial bait recommendations: spoons and spinners for this low water. Gold Cleos are a staple on the White, and a gold or silver Blue Fox is a good choice. This is also a great time for jig fishing--olive or crawdad-olive/orange jigs are on order this week. Keep a variety of live bait on board for the browns. Sculpins, redfin minnows and crawdad tails deliver well. Baits should be kept close to the bottom and to the sides of the main channel, or a deep hole for the browns. Thanks for sharing our love of the north Arkansas Ozarks in The Natural State. Drop in when you visit Cotter.