Little Red River Fishing Map & Spots (AR)

Hatch outlook

Midges (year-round)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31 · 365 days a year on the White, Norfork and Taneycomo — winter is when it carries the fishery

nymphall day, year-round — double-rig a pupa on top with a larva imitation on the bottom
pupathe money stage under an indicator, winter especially
adultwarm sunny winter days bring big hatches and afternoon dry-fly pods

The bread-and-butter baseline, not an event — but on warm winter days the midday emergence puts pods of risers in the slicks near the dams.

This is the micro-jig-under-a-float lane: 1/50–1/100 oz marabou micro-jigs 18–36 inches under a small float on 2 lb fluoro, dead-drifted through the soft seams — the artificial-lure answer in Taneycomo's trophy zone.

The event happens over everywhere, every day — the softest water near the dams, tailouts and flats

Sowbugs & scuds (the constant lane)Active window

Typical here: Jan 1 – Dec 31

nymphall day — not a hatch — a drift lane; fish it on the bottom, #14–18 on low water, bigger on generation

The year-round baseline that grows the region's big fish — the high-pH tailwater water supports huge crustacean populations.

Under a float: a scud fly or 1/50 oz gray/tan micro-jig 2–4 ft down, drifted with the current on light line. Add split shot to keep it ticking bottom when generation picks up.

The event happens over weedbeds, vegetation mats and gravel — the whole tailwater conveyor

CranefliesActive window

Typical here: Mar 1 – Oct 31 · strongest on the Norfork from McClellan's down to Ackerman

nymphyear-round in the mud — larva imitations produce
adultbreezy days through the season — not a true aquatic emergence — nymphs crawl out of the bank mud, and a slight breeze strands the poor-flying adults on the water; fish a sulphur-sized dry WITH movement, twitched and skated like a cranefly struggling to lift off

Wind-stranded adults pull fish to the bank margins — it rides the sulphur rise and extends it on breezy days.

Marginal for hardware — the honest play is a casting bubble with a light Cahill-type dry twitched on the retrieve on breezy afternoons; motion is the point, which suits spin gear better than most dry-fly events.

The event happens over muddy banks and slow margins, mid-river Norfork especially

Hoppers & terrestrialsActive window

Typical here: Jun 1 – Oct 31 · Norfork terrestrial fishing can be insane in September and October

adultday-long and opportunistic — laid-back fishing compared to the technical hatches — big foam hopper on the bank lines with a midge pupa or nymph dropper underneath — it works in slow water, fast riffles and even near the dams

Bank-beating with small topwaters: tiny poppers and 2" floating minnow plugs twitched along the overgrown shorelines and island edges on low water; a casting bubble behind a foam hopper casts a mile on windy afternoons.

The event happens over grassy banks, overgrown shorelines and island edges

Blue-Winged OlivesActive window

Typical here: Aug 20 – May 20 · two broods — fall (the better one) and winter–spring

nymphsight-cast #18 nymphs on low clear winter water
dunovercast, calm or rainy afternoons
spinnerevening, where conditions allow

On the right gray afternoon it's the only mayfly rise on the water from fall through spring — and the fall brood is the year's best mayfly stretch on the Little Red.

A cloudy-afternoon micro window: micro-jigs or a bubble-and-wet-fly through the tailouts where fish are dimpling; otherwise stay on the sowbug and midge float rigs — hardware can't honestly match a #20 olive.

The event happens over tailouts and smooth glides on gray days

Next on this water

Winter shad kill · baitfishDec 15 – Apr 30 · in ~4 months

Spring caddis (Grannom) · caddisMar 1 – Jun 15 · in ~6 months

Sulphurs · mayflyApr 1 – Jul 31 · in ~7 months

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

Loading depth chart…

Recent catches at Little Red River

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Little Red River on the board.

Fishing Little Red River: what the data says

Greers Ferry tailwater to Pangburn. Former world-record brown trout water. The river tops out around 10 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Drawn out, this is 143 acres of water rimmed by 15 miles of bank, with a single island in the mix. An index of 8.9 puts the bank firmly in maze territory: point after pocket after cove, every one a casting target. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. Call it 6.1 mi long by 1.3 mi wide at the broadest reach. You'll find it in Cleburne County. The nearest mapped water is Greers Ferry Lake, 17 mi to the west.

Brown Trout fishing at Little Red River

Come spring, look for brown trout tight to the bank in 1 to 10 ft. Through summer count on 3 to 10 ft; the winter hold is 1 to 10 ft. Start at Current seam (mile 5.6). It's a current seam holding about 6 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in after dark and early morning. A spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Betty Brown Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	3 to 10 ft	night & dawn	Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	2 to 10 ft	dusk & dawn	Betty Brown Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	1 to 10 ft	dawn	Betty Brown Lake Dam tailrace (9 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Rainbow Trout fishing at Little Red River

Spring puts rainbow trout in skinny water — 3 to 10 ft is the zone. Summer fish stay in 3 to 10 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 10 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 5.6), a prime-rated current seam around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	3 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 10 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 5.6) (6 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

Structure-wise the chart holds 14 features, led in depth by Betty Brown Lake Dam tailrace at roughly 9 ft.

Betty Brown Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
Grisso Lake Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
Greers Ferry Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 9 ft
JFK Park tailrace: creek channel, around 8 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 18.1): creek channel, around 8 ft
Tailout eddy (mile 9.0): eddy pocket, around 6 ft
Tailout eddy (mile 14.4): eddy pocket, around 6 ft
Tailout eddy (mile 0.3): eddy pocket, around 6 ft
Tailout eddy (mile 10.0): eddy pocket, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 5.6): current seam, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 16.2): current seam, around 6 ft
Current seam (mile 20.6): current seam, around 6 ft
Riffle & run (mile 3.1): rock pile, around 4 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp (concrete)
Lobo Access — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Little Red River fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Arkansas waters are set by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission — and special regulations can apply to Little Red River specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Arkansas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Little Red River?

Little Red River is about 10 ft (3 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Little Red River?

Anglers target brown trout, rainbow trout on Little Red River.

Where is the best fishing spot on Little Red River?

Current seam (mile 5.6) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Little Red River?

For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Little Red River?

Fishing on Little Red River is regulated by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. Check the official Arkansas regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Greers Ferry Lake 17 mi · Lake Conway 41 mi · Lake Maumelle 55 mi · White River (Bull Shoals) 59 mi · Norfork Lake 68 mi, MO/AR · Buffalo National River 73 mi · Norfork River 74 mi · Lake Dardanelle 80 mi · Nimrod Lake 81 mi · Eleven Point River 88 mi, MO · Bull Shoals Lake 88 mi, MO/AR · North Fork of the White 88 mi, MO

Browse all Arkansas fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.