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TALE WATERS & TIDES · POCKET FISHING GUIDE
ARKANSAS SPORTFISH
UNCOMMON

Rainbow Trout

SCOUT62SCORE
BULL SHOALS TAILWATER
Scout & adapt

Year-round cold-water quarry. Tailwater gold.

SIZE
10–16 in
MAX
30+ in
WEIGHT
Up to 19 lbs (state)
HABITAT
TailwatersStreamsCold lakes
Below dams: Bull Shoals, Norfork, Beaver, Greers.
DIET
Sow bugs, midges, scuds, small baitfish.
BEST BAITS
Power Bait · Corn · Woolly buggers
SEASONAL PATTERN
🌱SPRING
☀️SUMMER
🍂FALL
BEST❄️WINTER
Summer: Dawn & dusk near oxygenated water.
ANGLER INTEL · RIGHT NOWSCOUT & ADAPT
DEPTH
20–30 ft
thermocline / deep ledges
TIMING
Wait for weather change
TOP LURE · LIVE
Power Bait
slow day — give them an easy meal
TACKLE
Light spinning, 4 lb line; or 5wt fly
TECHNIQUE · Moving bait on main-lake points — match forage size
ANGLER STATS
SPAWN 4255°F
BITE
74
FIGHT
78
STEALTH
80
FUN FACT
Every rainbow in Arkansas is stocked. The tailwaters below Bull Shoals stay cold enough year-round to support trout — a freshwater miracle in the South.
STATUS
Stocked
Introduced · Salmonidae
PFG SIGNAL · EST77°F · Spring RiverSCOUT 62
YOUR CARD · ACTIONSNOT YET COLLECTED
🪪 ID marks
  • Pink side stripe
  • Heavy black spots
  • White mouth
💡 Tips
  • Match the generation schedule
  • Drift with current
  • Smaller is better

🌙 Lunar profile

LOW Lunar ImpactBest phases: Full Moon
☀️ Daytime
Generation schedule dominates in tailwaters. Focus on post-generation feeding windows when flows stabilize.
🌙 Nighttime
Minimal lunar advantage. Tailwater flows and temperature determine feeding activity — check generation schedule.
⚠️ Tailwater note: Generation schedule overrides lunar influence. Quigley et al. confirmed solunar tables fail to predict CPUE in tailwater trout fisheries.
🔗 Source: Quigley et al. peer-reviewed study; AGFC Rainbow Trout management

Where to catch

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
Daily limit: 0Min size:
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
From Bull Shoals Dam downstream to Rim Shoals
AGFC source ↗
Bull Shoals Tailwater Standard Trout Regulations
Daily limit: 5Min size: 9"
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
From Rim Shoals downstream — standard trout regulations apply
AGFC source ↗
Norfork Tailwater Trout Regulations
Daily limit: 5Min size: 9"
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
Entire Norfork tailwater reach below Norfork Dam to White River confluence
AGFC source ↗
Little Red River Tailwater Special Trout Regulations
Daily limit: 5Min size: 9"
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam to Hwy 16 bridge
AGFC source ↗
Spring River Trout Regulations
Daily limit: 5Min size: 9"
Requires: Fishing License, Trout Permit
Spring River from Mammoth Spring to Hardy
AGFC source ↗