White River (Arkansas)

The White River below Bull Shoals Dam in northern Arkansas is one of the most productive tailwater trout fisheries in the United States, supporting an extraordinary population of rainbow and brown trout in water that, before the dam was built in the 1950s, was too warm to support any trout species. The cold, clear releases from the bottom of Bull Shoals Lake transformed this section of the Ozarks into a world-class trout destination, with the river now holding both stocked and wild trout that grow to remarkable sizes on the abundant scud, sowbug, and midge populations sustained by the nutrient-rich tailwater environment.

The White River's trophy brown trout fishery is its most distinguished feature, with fish exceeding 20 inches relatively common and genuine giants over 30 inches caught with surprising regularity. The river's broad, powerful flows are best fished from a drift boat, as the changing dam release schedules create rapidly fluctuating water levels that can make wade fishing both difficult and dangerous. When generation flows are minimal, however, the White River provides excellent wade fishing in its shallower runs and riffles, with midges and sowbugs being the most productive patterns year-round. The community of guides, fly shops, and lodges around the towns of Cotter and Bull Shoals has built a thriving fly fishing culture in the heart of the Ozarks, demonstrating that world-class trout fishing can be found far from the traditional mountain strongholds of the American West.