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When people think of blue ribbon Trout streams their minds wonder west to the Rockies and the hallowed Madison or Green River. Few anglers realize that some of the most fertile and productive Trout streams lie south of the Mason Dixon Line, and arguably the best of these rivers being those in the White River Drainage. These rivers hold over 5,000 fish a mile, 135 fish a mile over 5 pounds, and two previous world records for Brown Trout. The White River drainage is a fish factory, period.

Trout and Timber fishes five different tail waters, and one freestone fishery within the drainage. That's over a 100 miles of prime Trout water! The flagship waters of our Trout program are based in Mountain Home, Arkansas. The area is home to two of the tail waters (the White below Bull Shoals Dam and the Norfork), and one freestone (North Fork of the White). Other waters fished include the Little Red, Tanneycomo, and Beaver tail water. All of these rivers are very dynamic. Typically with any tail water, nymphing techniques are the crutch that guides use to catch fish. However, all the rivers boast dry fly opportunities 365 days a year. Almost all these rivers are set up for amazing streamer action as there are plenty of ambush points for large trout to intercept their prey. Trout and Timber is the perfect outfit for those looking to get away from the tail water nymph grind so prevalent in our systems.

With this being said, these rivers are set up for anglers of all skill levels and preferences. Dry fly enthusiasts can easily find pods of rising fish, methodically dissecting them. Streamer anglers will find their home in the bigger water banging the banks in search for those big tugs. Newer anglers and those looking to "stay busy" will enjoy the constant nymphing action that our rivers have to offer.

Spring

The Spring season kicks off in March with the first bit of true hatch action. Anglers will choke on the thick caddis hatches of March and April, with the sulphurs coming off in May and early June. This season caters to the true dry fly enthusiast. While the dry fly guy is lining up reach casts to pods of risers, the other anglers are stripping streamers for Walter the Brown. As per usual, tail water nymphing tactics will always produce a lot of fish in all four seasons.

Summer

This is a great time to get the kids out. It's as simple as shorts, sandals, and bent rods. There's also nothing wrong with catching two footers on terrestrials. Night fishing really takes off as well. Increased boat traffic, and light sensitivity issues push double digit weight fish to feed during the dark hours.

Fall

This is typically the start of the trophy Trout season. Big fish leave their haunts and start their march to the spawning grounds while putting on the feed bag at the same time. Stunning fall foliage in the hardwood forests of the Ozarks hit peak in October and November. It's not a tough one to sell, and tends to be the busiest time of the year so BOOK EARLY.

Side note: Trout and Timber does not practice or promote fishing Brown Trout while they are on spawning beds. There is other more productive and ethical ways to catch the bruisers this time of year. Come fish with us and see for yourself!

Winter

This is the time of year the guides are truly hoping for a day off. Some of the best streamer action can be had from December to February. February is also the time for the "Arkie Salmon fly hatch" or the shad kill. Thermally shocked shad are sucked through the dam in the coldest part of winter, and the fish absolutely go nuts. This is the best chance in the world to catch a double digit weight Brown on a dry fly. November to January also coincides with the Arkansas waterfowl season. Believe it or not, Arkansas may be more famous for the migrating masses of birds it holds than its monster Brown Trout! Be sure and ask us about our hunting opportunities! Great time for the duck hunting enthusiasts to dunk a couple big Browns in the net, and then swat ducks the next day!

Rivers We Fish

White River below Bull Shoals Dam

The White River below BSD makes its debut northwest of Mountain Home as water is released below the dam. It makes its journey west/southwest and picks up multiple tributaries including: Crooked Creek, the Buffalo River, and the Norfork River. The Norfork runs into the White 40 miles below Bull Shoals Dam and cools the water back down to increase trout habitat another 40 miles. This 80 mile tailwater is the flagship of all that is trout in Arkansas or the southern United States for that matter. The first world record brown out of the state came out of this stretch.

There are no typical flows as this stretch can flow from sub 1000 cfs to over 24,000 cfs. No matter the flow, it always stays clear and it always fishes. Streamer fishing tends to be better the higher the flow. Nymph fishing works at every flow. Dries also fish at every flow, but during the higher CFS periods, a guide MUST KNOW THE SPOTS to make the rises happen.

The substrate consists of riffles, runs, and long pools. Many of the riffles or shoals are composed of chunk rock and limestone chutes. Mossy bottoms, and coontail patches within the river increase its fertility.

Rainbows, Browns, Cutthroat, and Brook Trout all call this river home. Average sizes of 12-16" apply to all Trout species but the Browns. Most Browns average 16-20" and reach the high 20's easily. Fish in the 30+" range haunt the river in its entirety, but are tougher to catch in the daylight hours. Might we recommend a night trip to see what this river really holds?

Norfork River

The Norfork is the little brother to the larger White River (below Bull Shoals Dam). The river is only 5 miles long and flows between 50 and 5,000 CFS. It makes its beginning below Norfork Dam east/southeast of Mountain Home.

Don't let its smaller size fool you. This river holds fish of giant proportions. Browns in the double digit weight class are caught out of this river every year. For some reason, this river holds a good population of cutthroat trout in the high teens to lower twenty inch range. A fish thats big and inherently loves dries? What more could an angler want? All fish, however, average 12-16". As with the White, the Norfork contains all four species of trout.

The hidden gem within the Norfork River is Dry Run Creek. This creek is reserved by the state for children under the age of 16 and those who are handicapped. It is only 40 ft. across at its widest, but the creek boasts more fish in the 24+" range than anywhere. This always a special treat for parents to end their day early on the Norfork and run up to have their kids fish Dry Run for an hour or two. It's a good way to sell your future fishing companion on the sport of fly fishing for life.

North Fork of the White

This little known gem is situated just north of the Arkansas border. It begins as a very humble warm water fishery, but transforms once it hits Rainbow Springs. The spring dumps in over 80 million gallons of 56 degree water a day, doubling its size and changing the habitat from a warm water ecosystem to a cold one where trout thrive.

This is a truly unique river in our area as it is not influenced by a dam. The middle section below the spring is also home to completely wild trout. There is no supplementation of stocked rainbows or browns in this stretch. The state of Missouri has also done a great job of protecting this wild stock by prohibiting bait, and all soft plastics lures.

Rainbows and browns average from 13-17" and easily reach the low 20's on a daily basis. This is a great trip to be tagged onto a multi-day Mountain Home based trip.

Tanneycomo Tailwater

Tanneycomo tailwater is fed by the dam at Table Rock Lake. It is a very short 3 mile river, but arguably the most fertile. Flowing through Branson, it does pick up quite a bit of traffic. Regardless, the thing is a fish factory. The river portion, before it flows into Lake Tanneycomo, is host to predominantly rainbows, but the odd ball brown will be thrown in. As the fall hits, the browns from the lake will run up and stage in the lower parts of the river. These fish grow to enormous proportions. However, with the crowds present it is best to fish for them at night.

This fishery is great for fly fishermen making the family vacation to Branson, but wants to sneak off for a day's fishing. Again, it can become very crowded, but is well worth it.

Rainbows average 12-16" but this stretch of the white holds more trophy rainbows over 18" than all the others. Browns are few and far between until fall, but will average 20-26" at night with the 30" kicker fish.

Beaver Tailwater

The tailwater below Beaver Dam is the first of the three on the White River. The river is located just west of Eureaka Springs and flows to the northeast filling Table Rock Lake. The river is about 8 miles in its entirety. Being closer to the bigger cities of Northwest Arkansas, it can become crowded on the weekends, but fishing during the week can be a very pleasant experience.

Little Red River

The Little Red is fed by the dam below Greers Ferry Lake. This tailwater is located just north of Little Rock in Heber Springs. It is a tributary river to the lower White River System (no longer trout water). This river is the second longest tailwater in the state at just over 30 miles. This fishery produced the last world record brown to come out of the state at just over 40 lbs. Many a double digit brown are still produced from this river every year.

The substrate varies drastically to all the other fisheries as it contains more moss and aquatic grass. This can be a double edged sword. Certain stretches can be more difficult to fish, yet the existence of the grass and moss boost the biomass potential of the river. This is definitely one of Trout and Timber's bread and butter rivers outside of the Mountain Home area. Fish average from 12-16" with browns and rainbows both hitting the 20" mark regularly. Nymphing, dry, and streamer techniques all work, making it a very dynamic fishery.

This is great for those out of staters traveling to Little Rock on business at is just a hop, skip, and a jump away.