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TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
LEGENDARY

Brown Trout

SCOUT66SCORE
NORFORK TAILWATER
Scout & adapt

Ghost of the tailwater. State-record 40+ pounds.

SIZE
12–20 in
MAX
40+ in
WEIGHT
40+ lbs (state)
HABITAT
TailwatersStreams
White River, Little Red, Norfork tailwater.
DIET
Sculpins, crawfish, shad, other trout.
BEST BAITS
Big streamers · Jerkbaits · Sculpin patterns
SEASONAL PATTERN
🌱SPRING
☀️SUMMER
BEST🍂FALL
❄️WINTER
Summer: Big browns hide. Night bite.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWWORTH THE TRIP
DEPTH
20–30 ft
thermocline / deep ledges
TIMING
Wait for weather change
TOP LURE · LIVE
Big streamers
slow day — give them an easy meal
TACKLE
Medium spinning or 7-wt fly
TECHNIQUE · Moving bait on main-lake points — match forage size
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 44–54°F
BITE
62
FIGHT
92
STEALTH
94
FUN FACT
Rip Collins caught a 40 lb 4 oz brown trout on the Little Red River in 1992 — held the IGFA world record for two decades. That fish is why anglers still drive overnight to cast at dawn.
STATUS
Stocked
Introduced · Salmonidae
LIVE PFG SIGNAL69°F · Beaver Lake● SCOUT 66
YOUR CARD · ACTIONSNOT YET COLLECTED
🪪 ID marks
  • Red spots with blue halos
  • Buttery-yellow sides
  • Square tail
💡 Tips
  • Big fly, big fish
  • Fish overcast, high-flow days
  • Respect redds in winter

🌙 Lunar profile

LOW-MED Lunar ImpactBest phases: Full Moon
☀️ Daytime
Generation schedule dominates in tailwaters. Feed on invertebrate hatches (mayflies, midges) during low-generation windows.
🌙 Nighttime
Large Brown Trout are nocturnal hunters; slight Full Moon advantage. Streamers after dark on low-generation nights.
⚠️ Tailwater note: Generation schedule overrides lunar influence in tailwaters. Check SWPA/USACE release schedule first.
🔗 Source: Quigley et al. (peer-reviewed: solunar tables fail to predict CPUE in tailwater trout); AGFC Brown Trout management

Where to catch

White River — Bull Shoals Tailwatertrophystocked
StreamersNymphingMinnow Lures
Trophy-class brown trout. World-record brown trout caught here (40 lb 4 oz). Night fishing with streamers effective.
Little Red River — Greers Ferry Tailwatertrophystocked
StreamersNymphingSpinners
Site of the former world record brown trout (40 lb 4 oz, 1992). Still produces trophy fish.
Norfork River — Norfork Tailwaterexcellentstocked
StreamersNymphing
Trophy browns present. Access limited to very short tailwater reach.

Regulations

Always verify current rules at agfc.com before keeping fish.

White River — Bull Shoals TailwaterCatch & releaseArtificial only
Bull Shoals Tailwater Catch-and-Release Zone — Brown Trout
Daily limit: 0Min size: —
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
From Bull Shoals Dam downstream to Rim Shoals
AGFC source ↗