My dad and I are taking a camping trip to Arkansas the week after Memorial Day. I've never been there but have obviously heard the White River is great for fly fishing. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions for where to go fish/stay. We may take kayaks but will probably just be wade fishing. We are open to going anywhere as we will have 5 days and no agenda. Thanks for any help!

Are you definatley going to the White River???

I don't know much about wade fishing the White, but there are several places around there that rent jon boats.

My favorite of the 3 tailwaters in that area is the Little Red. Regardless, check the dam release schedules for any of those rivers.

I've always used vrbo.com to find river cabins for relatively cheap.

White River is not definite. Thats just what I have heard the most about. We just want to be able to wet a fly line and hopefully catch some good fish.

We are taking a pop up camper so no need for a cabin but thanks for the advice!

I would recommend that you fish the White and Norfolk Rivers, and perhaps the Little Red.

There is a campground/rv area at the state park right below Bull Shoals Dam. Another campground is at Cotter right at the old railroad bridge. I don't recall the name since it changed hands a couple of years ago.

If you fish the White, keep an eye out on the generation schedule of Bull Shoals. From Flippin down to Cotter, there are steep canyon walls on both sides of the river, and when they start generating, it fills up like a bath tub. You don't want to get stranded on a gravel bar (or worse).

Bill

Go to this website and it will give you all the info you need. The White and Norfolk are the two best trout rivers around. They are both accessible from Mountain Home, Ark.

http://flyfishingarkansas.com/

I have made numerous trips to the White and the Norfork(North Fork) and also the Little Red. Hands down my favorite to fish, prior to using a guide, and after is the little red, and still is. I take 3-5 trips there a year(just had my bachelor party there 4 weeks ago). Its a great fishery, water is a little smaller than the other two, which I like, but its size and ability to fish are uncompared. The only time I fish the white or the norfork is when they are generating to much to fish on the little red. With that being said, my best 3 trout to date came during generation on the little red in February or 2010 (a 32 inch brown caught on an 8lb tippet) after generation, in slow water we caught 2 more browns and a rainbow all over 22 inches. As far as places to stay, I always stayed at Lobo Landing Cabins, but have seen multiple places to camp along the river. Lindseys Resort is probably your best bet. They have cabins and camping. The also have camper sports with water/electric hook ups. Check them out at Lindseysresort.com Jamie Rouse is the local guide and is recognized now three times by Orvis for being a top quality guide and has a website, jamierouse.net. He and his team can help you in anyway. Lobo Landing can be found at lobolandingresort.com. I believe all three rivers are home to most species of trout, the only river I have slammed in a three day weekend (rainbow, brown, cutt, cuttbow and brook trouts) is the little red. I fly fish and ultralight fish as well, and for me its the little red. Plus, if you get there now, meet some people, get key areas to fish, you can make the trek back in october/november for the brown trout run (like christmas to trout fishers). If you are fly fishing, take lots of flies and match the hatch. Weather is great and have heard of multiple hatched daily. For me I streamer fish BIG Streamers in the EARLY morn and late evening and dry fly, streamer the other times. Big bead headed buggers, muddlers and sculpins in brown black and olive, stripped fast below the shoals can be dynomite! Nymphing works great too. Good Luck and if you need any other info PM me or email me at Msutton@nashpd.com.

My grandfather fed his family during the depression on what he caught out of the Little Red, but that was way before Greers Ferry dam was built.

He mostly fished for catfish, by "hogging" or noodling. But he also set hoop nets. Mom says that grandpa and some of the boys (there were 8 kids) would take a wheelbarrow to the river and come home with it full of big catfish. Somewhere I have a scan of a newspaper clipping with grandpa and another man holding up a 100# blue cat they caught in a net out of the Little Red.

Here he is much later in life repairing a net or seine in his yard.

You might find some good info here: Fly Fishing the Ozarks

Thanks for all the advice! Great info here and I will definitely check into everything suggested. Little Red sounds like it may be the place to go. Can't wait to get out there. Sounds like it should be a good time.

And thats an awesome story/pic of your grandpa warhawk!

I would try the spring River in north ark , lots of good fish ,

The problem with the Little Red is that if they are generating on it you won't be able to fish except from a boat. With the White and Norfolk Rivers you can usually wade one if the other is generating.

Warhawk, I grew up on that river too, before the dam was built (but well after the depression). I never thought they could change it to a trout stream, but was I wrong! It is now a top notch trout stream and provided the world record Brown Trout.

where's the report? Inquiring minds want to know!