Complete White River Fly Fishing Website

Arkansas, White River

Cotter to Jenkins Creek (start of Rim Shoals catch and release area):

After Cotter, the river is primarily shallow and wide for nearly a mile. After a turn to the left, the river splits around a large island. This is Roundhouse Shoals. The water along the right side above the shoal fishes very well. It's slow with moss beds that drop off into big holes. Roundhouse Shoals is very popular for wading, The main shoal on the left side is easiest fished by swinging a soft hackle or wooly bugger. On the right side the flow is small, but there are fish everywhere they should be. The little side can be great using dries like caddis' and Cahill’s. After Roundhouse the river joins on the backside of the island. This is called Armstrong Hole and is home to some big fish. The only wading is from the left side...there is a wealth of public parking and access from Roundhouse Shoal to Armstrong Hole. After Armstrong, the river splits around an expansive gravel island. The best habitat and fly fishing is done from the deep cut on the left side. This area is loaded with fish but access is by boat only. There's a tricky navigation area where the river widens...watch out for the huge boulders.

After the river widens, the dynamic is pretty weak due to excessive gravel and general lack of structure. It's best to forgo this stretch until just above the catch and release area at Rim Shoals. Here the water gets deep on both sides and fish numbers increase dramatically. By this time you will hear the riffles below that mark the start of the C&R area. This stretch is not great on really high water...the backwater at the lower part of Roundhouse Shoals holds some trout along with the expansive gravel bar. Luckily Rim Shoals is loaded with high water spots.

From the lower boundary of the Rim Shoals catch and release area to Buffalo City:

This is a pretty long stretch of water, but it is limited in what it offers wading fly anglers. Much of the water is inaccessible (except by boat), and much of it is wide and gravel laden. Below where Crooked Creek enters the White on the right side there is some picturesque trout water for nearly a mile. After that the river is wide and deep all the way to the Ranchette Access/ramp. This is not really a good wade in spot because of deep water along the banks. After Ranchette, there is some good wading around the two islands. Cast towards the left bank into the green pools. The river gets quite deep before dropping into Buffalo Shoals.

Although access to Buffalo Shoals is limited to those willing to walk great distances along the railroad tracks or by boating upstream to the lower shoal, this piece of water is one of the prettiest you will find anywhere. At over one mile long, Buffalo Shoals is wide, shallow, and rocky. Because the access is so tough, there are always tons of trout to be caught. This shoal doesn't hold lots of big fish, but there are still plenty of chunky 'bows and browns with the occasional trophy. Scuds and dries can be great selections, and any riffle that looks fishy usually is. White Buffalo Resort and Riley's Station will shuttle you to the lower shoals if you make arrangements. After you get dropped off, there is more water than you could fish in a lifetime within easy walking distance.

This stretch is not our favorite during flows over 5 units. Be very careful in Buffalo Shoals in a boat...there are sharp rocks everywhere on all levels.