Guided float trip
Usually supplied by the guide; a 9′ 5–6 weight if you bring your own · Trout on most western float rivers
Open checklist
White River & the Ozarks
Cotter and Mountain Home sit on the White River below Bull Shoals Dam in the Arkansas Ozarks, with the North Fork tailwater below Norfork Dam and the Buffalo National River to the south-west.
- Arkansas · South
- 6 waters
- 29 guides nearby
- 11 shops nearby
- HRO airport · 39 mi
Photo credit
The White River and the Cotter Bridge on a foggy morning, Cotter, Arkansas. Photo: Luhsteesay, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Waters around Cotter
About this
Tap a water for its live flow, access map, regulations and hatches.
Tailwater trout fisheryPhoto credit
The White River near Flippin, Arkansas. Photo: James Powers (Jpowersok), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
Agency-named bass water
Agency-named bass waterPhoto credit
Buffalo National River, Arkansas. Photo: National Park Service, public domain, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons
Agency-named bass waterPhoto credit
Crooked Creek at Highway 14 in Yellville, Arkansas. Photo: Brandonrush, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tailwater trout fisheryRepresentative photo · not North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater)Photo credit
The Little Red River at Lobo Access, Cleburne County, Arkansas. Photo: Brandonrush, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Not North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater).
- Tailwater trout fisheryRepresentative photo · not North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater)
Photo credit
The Little Red River at Lobo Access, Cleburne County, Arkansas. Photo: Brandonrush, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Not North Fork River (Norfork Tailwater).
Distances and official pages
The rivers, lakes or flats this hub is organised around, each with its straight-line distance from Cotter. Within 40 miles a water's own page names this hub as near; a farther one shows its distance instead. Where a nearby guide names a water on its own website, we say how many do. Access, seasons and special regulations differ by reach: check the agency pages under license and rules.
- White River10 mi from Cotter in a straight line · named on 13 guide websites nearby
- North Fork River11 mi from Cotter in a straight line
- Norfork Tailwater11 mi from Cotter in a straight line · named on 6 guide websites nearby
- Bull Shoals Lake32 mi from Cotter in a straight line · named on 8 guide websites nearby
- Buffalo National River9 mi from Cotter in a straight line
- Crooked Creek5 mi from Cotter in a straight line · named on 2 guide websites nearby
All gauge readings
The first USGS gauge on each water: the latest reading, how it compares with that gauge's record for today's date, the 24-hour trend and the NWS flood stage. Open a water for what the level means.
Reading the gauges around Cotter…
Meet local guides
About this
29 guide listings within 60 miles (10 fly-focused), fly-focused first. Unclaimed listings say so on their page: confirm licensing, rates and dates with the outfitter.
Dally's Ozark Fly Fisher
Cotter, AR · 4 mi
Wade trips · Drift boat · White & Norfork Tailwater
- Unclaimed
CJ's White River Outfitter
Cotter, AR · 5 mi
Drift boat · Beginners & lessons · Snake & White
- Unclaimed
Riffletrip Outfitters
Flippin, AR · 6 mi
Float trips · Drift boat · White & Norfork Tailwater
- Unclaimed
Branson Guided Fishing Trips
Branson, MO · 51 mi
Lake & stillwater · Beginners & lessons · Lake Taneycomo
- Unclaimed
CastAway Charters - Taneycomo Trout Guide
Branson, MO · 49 mi
Lake & stillwater · Beginners & lessons · Lake Taneycomo
- Unclaimed
John Sappington's Branson Fishing Guide Service
Branson, MO · 49 mi
Wade trips · Lake & stillwater · Lake Taneycomo
- Unclaimed
Fly shops nearby
About this
11 shop listings in the towns around Cotter, fly shops first. Confirm hours with the shop before you go.
Fish around Cotter
About this
Species the state agency lists on the waters here. A species listed for one water is not a promise for every water.
Rainbow trout
Listed on 3 waters here
Photo credit
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Brown trout
Listed on 3 waters here
Photo credit
Brown trout (Salmo trutta), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service illustration. Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Largemouth bass
Listed on 3 waters here
Photo credit
Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Panfish
Listed on 3 waters here
Photo credit
A bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus), photographed by Ryan Hagerty for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Smallmouth bass
Listed on 2 waters here
Photo credit
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), illustration by Duane Raver for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photo: Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Agency species and seasons (7 waters)
Taken from the state agency pages of 7 waters around Cotter, each on its own water page with the agency link. Seasons are quoted word for word and apply to the water named.
- Largemouth bass3 waters
- Bluegill2 waters
- Brown trout2 waters
- Green sunfish2 waters
- Ozark bass2 waters
- Rainbow trout2 waters
- Smallmouth bass2 waters
- Black crappie1 water
- Catfish1 water
- Channel catfish1 water
- Flathead catfish1 water
- Longear sunfish1 water
- Spotted bass1 water
- Walleye1 water
- White bass1 water
- White crappie1 water
Species guides mention (28)
Counted from the species each guide lists on its own site. This is what guides advertise, not an agency species list or a promise of what you will catch.
- Brown trout13
- Rainbow trout10
- Smallmouth bass9
- Crappie8
- Walleye7
- Catfish5
- Largemouth bass5
- Cutthroat trout3
Things to know
Fishing license: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Fees on the agency page.
Arkansas also requires a trout permit on trout waters; see the AGFC trout page.
Getting there
HRO Boone County Airport · 39 mi
Regulations and access
Seasons, limits and access: agency pages.
Official license and rules pages
Buy the license from the agency and read its current regulations before you go. These links are the authoritative pages; nothing on this page grants or implies access to any water, and fees are only shown when read from the agency page on a stated date.
Nothing here grants or implies access to any water.
Women-led and women’s trips
About this
Near White River & the Ozarks. From each business's own website, not checked by us. Plan around them in the trip planner.
Veteran-owned and veteran programs
About this
Near White River & the Ozarks. Each fact comes from the business's own website, an official register or an approved claim; the listing page links the source.
- Jenkins Fishing ServiceGuide · Calico Rock · 21 miVeteran-owned · from their websiteMilitary discount · from their website
- Fish on Guide ServiceGuide · Hollister · 48 miAccessible or adaptive · from their website
- Focused Fishing Guide ServiceGuide · Kimberling City · 59 miMilitary discount · from their website
- Diamond State Fly CoFly shop · FlippinVeterans on the team · from their website
The White River & the Ozarks area
About this
The circle is the 60-mile area this page covers, around Cotter. Tap a water for its page. Shops and guides appear where they publish a street address on their own website; all of them are listed above.
Map of the White River & the Ozarks area: its waters, shops and guides
Map of White River & the Ozarks: the 60-mile area this page covers, its waters, and shops and guides with an exact address.
Restrooms near White River & the Ozarks
Restrooms near White River & the Ozarks
Restrooms within 5 miles of the centre of White River & the Ozarks in a straight line, nearest first, with what anglers found when they went. The map says a restroom is there, not whether it is clean or open today.
No restroom mapped within 5 mi yet — add one you know.
Campgrounds, fishing access sites and boat ramps often have one that isn't on the map yet.
Restroom locations and map details: © OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License, read Oct 24, 2026. Ratings, answers and photos are members' own; who shared them is never shown, and every photo is reviewed before it appears. Visits older than 18 months no longer count. Distances are straight-line miles, not driving. Nothing here grants access to private land. Community guidelines.
Base yourself nearby
About this
Cotter, Flippin and Lakeview are the small towns on the White River; Mountain Home is the larger town between the White and the North Fork. We do not list or price properties. The search opens an outside site.
Nearest airports
About this
Distances are straight-line from the town centre, computed from OurAirports open data; distances by road are longer. Fares are never estimated here.
- HRO Boone County AirportHarrison, AR · 39 mi · regionalSearch flights
- BKG Branson AirportBranson, MO · 45 mi · regionalSearch flights
- SGF Springfield Branson National AirportSpringfield, MO · 83 mi · regionalSearch flights
- MEM Frederick W. Smith International AirportMemphis, TN · 164 mi · major hubSearch flights
Rough out the trip
About this
Set nights, anglers and guided days. Each line says where its figure comes from, and anything we cannot source honestly (guide rates, fares, license fees not read from the agency page) stays a link rather than a number.
Estimates, not quotes
- Fishing licenseSee sourceAgency page
Source
One per angler (2 anglers). Fees are set by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; see the agency page.
Source: Arkansas Game and Fish Commission - Guided days17 rates pagesBranson Guided Fishing TripsHurst Fishing ServiceWhite River Family FishingJohn Sappington's Branson Fishing Guide Service
Source
1 guided day for 2 anglers. We do not copy guide rates: 17 guides near here publish a rates page on their own website.
Source: Guide websites (rates pages linked, never copied) - Find lodgingSee sourceSearch lodging
Source
Search places to stay near the destination. We do not list or price properties.
Source: Lodging search link - FlightsSee sourceSearch flights
Source
Fares are not estimated here. Search flights to HRO (Boone County Airport).
Source: Flight search link (no fares quoted)
No priced itemsUse the links for real figures.
How we estimate
Estimates, not quotes. Nothing here is a price from a guide, a property or an airline; confirm every cost with the provider before you book. No placeholder lodging range is configured for this region, and licenses, guided days and flights are never priced here.
Parks, forests and visitor offices
About this
For the non-fishing days, or the people traveling with you. Official sources only; what to do there is for their pages to say.
Gear checklist
About this
What to bring on a guided float fishing trip: rain gear, polarized sunglasses, sun protection, a dry bag and your license. Most guides supply rods and flies. Estimated prices and where to buy.
Watch: what to expect on a guided float trip
About this
What the guide brings, what you bring, how the day runs.
Public YouTube videos from established channels, chosen by us to support this page. Not sponsored; the creators are not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear.
FLOATING ETIQUETTE (fly fishing)Embedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube HOW TO FLY FISH FROM A DRIFT BOATEmbedded from YouTube · Huge Fly Fisherman · not affiliated with Legendary Fly Gear. Watch on YouTube
Not sponsored All videos on guided float
Stories from Arkansas
About this
Trip stories anglers chose to share publicly, tagged with a water in Arkansas.
No Arkansas stories yet.
Sources for this page
All 9 sources
Guide and shop listings come from the Legendary directories (open map records checked against each business’s own website). Everything else links to the publisher below; this page copies none of their text. A destination hub organises discovery; it does not assert public access, current fish presence, guide availability or fishing conditions.
- Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: fishing licensesArkansas Game and Fish Commission
- Arkansas fishing regulationsArkansas Game and Fish Commission
- Arkansas trout fishing (trout permit and tailwaters)Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
- Bull Shoals-White River State ParkArkansas State Parks
- Buffalo National RiverNational Park Service
- Ozark-St. Francis National ForestsUSDA Forest Service
- Arkansas.comArkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism
- OurAirports open data (airport locations)OurAirports, public domain
- Overture Maps places (guide and shop map records)Overture Maps Foundation, CDLA-Permissive 2.0
Links checked 13 Oct 2026. Not a claim of access or conditions.