White River (Bull Shoals) 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.

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Recent catches at White River (Bull Shoals)

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 White River (Bull Shoals) on the board.

Fishing White River (Bull Shoals): what the data says

Bull Shoals Dam to Calico Rock. The world-famous Ozark trout tailwater. The river tops out around 12 ft. This chart interpolates between a real shoreline and a known maximum depth. It will point you at likely water, but it is not a navigation product. What follows comes from the same scoring engine that paints the spots above.

White River (Bull Shoals) maps at 2,625 acres behind 119.8 miles of shoreline, with 2 islands in the mix. A development index of 16.7 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. The whole water is littoral — nothing here runs deeper than ~15 ft, so it's all weed-and-bait territory. Call it 30.3 mi long by 8.1 mi wide at the broadest reach. It sits in Baxter County. Its nearest charted neighbour, Norfork Lake, is 14 mi to the northeast.

Rainbow Trout fishing at White River (Bull Shoals)

Spring rainbow trout on White River (Bull Shoals) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 12 ft in summer, 2 to 12 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Current seam (mile 19.3) — current seam, 7 ft, prime for spring. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 12 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at White River (Bull Shoals)

In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 1 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 2 to 12 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 19.3), a prime-rated current seam around 7 ft. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Bull Shoals Dam tailrace (10 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	4 to 12 ft	night & dawn	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	2 to 12 ft	dusk & dawn	Bull Shoals Dam tailrace (10 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	2 to 12 ft	dawn	Bull Shoals Dam tailrace (10 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Cutthroat Trout fishing at White River (Bull Shoals)

In spring, cutthroat trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 3 to 12 ft, and they winter in 3 to 12 ft. Spring cutthroat trout concentrate at Current seam (mile 19.3), a prime-rated current seam around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	2 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	3 to 12 ft	dawn	Current seam (mile 19.3) (7 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Notable structure

White River (Bull Shoals) carries 29 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Bull Shoals tailrace, about 10 ft down.

Bull Shoals tailrace: creek channel, around 10 ft
Bull Shoals Dam tailrace: dam tailrace, around 10 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 9.3): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 12.8): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 14.9): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 16.8): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 21.1): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 23.3): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 28.0): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 29.9): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 31.7): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 40.1): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 42.0): creek channel, around 9 ft
Outside-bend hole (mile 43.8): creek channel, around 9 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Boat launch — ramp
Buffalo City — ramp (concrete)
Buffalo City River Access Point — ramp (paved)

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

White River (Bull Shoals) 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 White River (Bull Shoals) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Arkansas fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is White River (Bull Shoals)?

White River (Bull Shoals) is about 12 ft (4 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 White River (Bull Shoals)?

Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout on White River (Bull Shoals).

Where is the best fishing spot on White River (Bull Shoals)?

Current seam (mile 19.3) is the top-rated area: a current seam in about 7 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 White River (Bull Shoals)?

For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. 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 White River (Bull Shoals)?

Fishing on White River (Bull Shoals) 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

Norfork Lake 14 mi, MO/AR · Norfork River 20 mi · Bull Shoals Lake 31 mi, MO/AR · North Fork of the White 34 mi, MO · Buffalo National River 40 mi · Greers Ferry Lake 48 mi · Lake Taneycomo 52 mi, MO · Little Red River 59 mi · Eleven Point River 62 mi, MO · Table Rock Lake 68 mi, MO/AR · James River 75 mi, MO · Jacks Fork 80 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.