Trout Water on One Side.
Your Whole Crew on the Other.
The White River and Norfork tailwaters are minutes from a 6-bedroom lodge that sleeps 20 — so the anglers can fish two of Arkansas's best-known trout tailwaters while everyone else has the pool table and hot tub at the lodge, and the pickleball court in Grandpas Barn, waiting back home.
This Is the White River. Minutes From Your Door.
On July 30, 2026, White River Nation guide Jesse Brison hooked a 32-inch, 17 lb 7 oz rainbow trout early one morning on a topwater lure near Shipp's Landing on the White River — a short drive from where you'd be staying — then released it back into the water. The Arkansas state record rainbow, 19 lb 1 oz, has stood since 1981, but this is the everyday caliber of the White River at the end of the driveway.
Read the full story →Fresh From the River
Every week, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) publishes a fishing report on how the trout are biting in north central Arkansas. We share the highlights and send you to the full AGFC report. For more fishing and hunting information, visit agfc.com.
Two Tailwaters, Two Lakes, One Driveway
White River Tailwater
Trout Capital of Arkansas — self-declared, and nobody's arguing. A tailwater fishery below Bull Shoals Dam with year-round cold water, four-plus miles of public riverfront access at Cotter, and trout alongside catfish, bass, walleye, and sunfish.
Norfork Tailwater
Cold, hatchery-supported water from the Norfork National Fish Hatchery holds brown, rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout along roughly 4.8 miles of tailwater.
Lake Norfork
Calm coves known for crappie, bass, and walleye. Public marinas rent pontoons and fishing boats by the day.
Bull Shoals Lake
Arkansas's largest lake — 1,000 miles of shoreline for boating, skiing, and lake fishing when the group wants open water instead of a tailwater.
Buffalo National River
The first National River in the country — free-flowing, undammed, known for smallmouth bass fishing and towering bluffs.
Photos courtesy of Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism
Serious About It? Book a Guide.
Local guide services run half- and full-day float trips out of the Cotter area — book a few weeks ahead for the best dates. A few names to start with: Cotter Trout Dock, Jenkins Fishing Service, and White River Nation. Arkansas trout waters carry their own license rules — check the current regulations at agfc.com/fishing/trout before you go.
Not Just for the Anglers
The property has its own stocked fishing pond — no license, no boat, no drive required. Kids can fish steps from the door while the rest of the crew is on the pickleball court in Grandpas Barn or in the lodge hot tub. The serious water is ten minutes away whenever the group wants it.
