Print it. Bag it. Bring it.Phones die, screens crack, and most of this water has no signal. Print this map, fold it into a zip-top bag or dry bag with your license, and you have a backup your electronics can’t give you. Every marker is numbered so you can say exactly where you are.
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bull Shoals Dam USACE · eight generators | Dam / hazard | 36.36605, -92.57507 | Water can rise several feet in minutes when generation starts — listen for the horn and keep an eye on the bank. The special-regulation reach starts 100 yards below the dam. |
| 2 | Bull Shoals Catch-and-Release Area 100 yards below the dam to the upstream boundary of the state park | Regulation section limit | 36.36478, -92.57824 | Seasonal special-regulation reach. Dates and rules on the AGFC site; approximate marker on the centerline. |
| 3 | Bull Shoals-White River State Park Arkansas State Parks · campground, trout dock, ramp, Gaston Visitor Center | Park / conservation area | 36.36378, -92.58577 | Campground on the river bank below the dam with a public ramp and trout dock; walk-in wading along the park shoreline when the water is off. |
| 4 | Bull Shoals Seasonal Brown Trout Area Wing dike at the state park trout dock to the park's downstream boundary | Regulation section limit | 36.36145, -92.58679 | Winter-season special area. Dates and rules on the AGFC site; approximate marker. |
| 5 | Gaston's White River Resort Lakeview · trout dock, guides, restaurant, fly shop, airstrip | Outfitter / canoe rental | 36.34799, -92.55956 | The AGFC's Gaston's public access ramp sits beside the resort. Marker placed at the resort airstrip. |
| 6 | White Hole Access AGFC · ramp, about 7 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.32918, -92.53526 | Deep pool popular with drift boats. Approximate location, placed by river mile. |
| 7 | Wildcat Shoals Access AGFC · ramp off Wildcat Access Road, about 11 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.30804, -92.57469 | Long wadeable shoal at low water; classic dry-fly water. |
| 8 | US 62/412 bridge above Cotter US Highways 62 & 412 | Bridge crossing | 36.28446, -92.52808 | |
| 9 | Natural State Fly Shop Cotter · flies, tackle, guides | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 36.26713, -92.54043 | |
| 10 | Cotter Bridge (US 62B) 1930 rainbow-arch bridge, National Register | Bridge crossing | 36.26733, -92.54445 | |
| 11 | Cotter Access (Big Spring Park) AGFC ramp in the city park, about 16.8 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.26635, -92.54418 | Trout Capital USA. Cotter Spring boils up in the park; camping and wade access along the park bank. |
| 12 | Cotter Trout Dock Cotter · guided float trips, boats | Outfitter / canoe rental | 36.26590, -92.54342 | Oldest trout dock on the river, in Big Spring Park. |
| 13 | Big Spring Park City of Cotter · camping, picnic, spring | Park / conservation area | 36.26602, -92.54231 | |
| 14 | Rim Shoals Catch-and-Release Area Sign above the mouth of Jenkins Creek to the first power line downstream | Regulation section limit | 36.25689, -92.48156 | About 21 miles below the dam. Rules on the AGFC site; approximate marker on the centerline. |
| 15 | Rim Shoals Access AGFC · ramp and walk-in access via Rim Shoals Lane | Access / boat ramp | 36.25751, -92.47164 | Braided island shoals — the best-known wade fishery on the river at low water. Placed at the access road. |
| 16 | Ranchette Access AGFC · ramp, about 26.5 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.20316, -92.47788 | Approximate location, placed by river mile. |
| 17 | Buffalo City Access AGFC · ramp just below the Buffalo River confluence | Access / boat ramp | 36.16452, -92.44060 | Take-out for Buffalo River floats too. Trout water continues; smallmouth mix in below the Buffalo. |
| 18 | Rileys Outfitter Buffalo City · shuttles, boats, lodging | Outfitter / canoe rental | 36.17104, -92.43340 |
| # | Point | Type | Lat, Lon | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Cartney Access AGFC · ramp, about 34.5 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.19451, -92.38238 | Placed at the Cartney settlement; approximate. |
| 20 | Shipps Ferry Access AGFC · ramp, about 36 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.21325, -92.35698 | |
| 21 | AR 341 (Push Mountain Road) bridge Arkansas Highway 341 | Bridge crossing | 36.22364, -92.29954 | |
| 22 | USGS gauge — White River near Norfork Gauge used for this water's flow reading | USGS gauge | 36.22361, -92.30000 | Reads both Bull Shoals releases and, just below, Norfork Dam water. Generation schedules from both dams matter here. |
| 23 | Norfork Access AGFC · ramp at the North Fork confluence, about 42 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.20930, -92.29093 | The Norfork tailwater enters here, adding cold water for the next 50 miles of trout river. |
| 24 | Jacob Wolf House Historic Site Arkansas Heritage · 1829 territorial courthouse | Point of interest | 36.21046, -92.28701 | Oldest public structure in Arkansas, on the bluff above the confluence. |
| 25 | Norfork Adventure Supply Norfork · fly shop, kayak rental, shuttles | Bait, tackle & fly shop | 36.20798, -92.28642 | |
| 26 | Red's Landing Access AGFC · ramp at the end of Reds Landing Lane, about 49 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.16129, -92.25551 | Placed at the access lane; approximate. |
| 27 | Chesmond Ferry Access AGFC · ramp off Chesmond Road, about 56.6 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.10891, -92.18631 | Placed at the access road; approximate. |
| 28 | Calico Rock Historic District River town on the bluff · restaurants, lodging, guides | Point of interest | 36.11813, -92.14293 | |
| 29 | Calico Rock City Park Access AGFC ramp in the city park, about 59.6 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.11604, -92.14277 | |
| 30 | AR 5 bridge at Calico Rock Arkansas Highway 5 | Bridge crossing | 36.11522, -92.14331 | |
| 31 | Optimus Access AGFC · ramp, about 69.8 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 36.02294, -92.08218 | Approximate location, placed by river mile. |
| 32 | Mount Olive Access AGFC · ramp at Mount Olive | Access / boat ramp | 36.00063, -92.09293 | Placed at the settlement; approximate. |
| 33 | Sylamore Access AGFC · ramp at the AR 5/9/14 bridge, about 76.7 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 35.94153, -92.11423 | Sylamore Creek enters nearby; Blanchard Springs and the Ozark National Forest are up the creek road. |
| 34 | AR 5/9/14 bridge at Sylamore State Highways 5, 9 and 14 | Bridge crossing | 35.93936, -92.11336 | |
| 35 | Guion Access AGFC ramp at Guion Park, about 89.4 miles below the dam | Access / boat ramp | 35.93202, -91.95154 | Lower end of the AGFC-managed trout water. |
| 36 | AR 58 bridge at Guion Arkansas Highway 58 · end of the trout-managed reach | Bridge crossing | 35.92434, -91.94793 |
Gauge: USGS 07057370 — White River near Norfork, AR. Live flow on the web page.
Species: Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass
Regulations: www.agfc.com/regulations/general-fishing-regulations/
Emergency: call 911 and give the number of the nearest point on this map plus its coordinates.
Bull Shoals Dam and the Catch and Release area: the top of the tailwater.
Bull Shoals-White River State Park: ramp, lodging and access below the dam.
Wildcat Shoals and Rim Shoals: the best-known wade and float reaches.
Cotter: town access, the Big Spring park and multiple ramps.
Buffalo City: the Buffalo River confluence and lower access.
Norfork and the North Fork tailwater: the colder, smaller tributary fishery near the gauge.
Always check the Bull Shoals generation schedule before wading.
Year-round; the tailwater fishes in every month.
January and February: the shad kill below the dam, big browns and cold weather.
March through May: caddis, moderate generation and the best all-around fishing.
June through August: heavy generation in wet years, cold water in Arkansas heat, night fishing for browns.
October through December: brown trout spawning, protected areas closed, and excellen