It’s a fishing day

Bull Shoals Lake fishing conditions · Arkansas

Today, 1 pm–6 pmLargemouth bass

The bite peaks at 68.

Log a trip here
Right now: 58 for largemouth bass, marginalTap or drag along the water to move through the next 36 hours

Largemouth bass, hour by hour

Each float is an hour. The deeper it rides, the better the bite. The strip underneath runs daylight, dusk and dark; the red rule marks the best window. Click any hour to read it.

  1. 582 am
  2. 58
  3. 58
  4. 585 am
  5. 58
  6. 58
  7. 588 am
  8. 58
  9. 58
  10. 5811 am
  11. 58
  12. 68
  13. 682 pm
  14. 68
  15. 68
  16. 685 pm
  17. 58
  18. 58
  19. 588 pm
  20. 58
  21. 58
  22. 5811 pm
  23. 58Tue
  24. 58
  25. 582 am
  26. 58
  27. 58
  28. 585 am
  29. 58
  30. 58
  31. 588 am
  32. 58
  33. 58
  34. 5811 am
  35. 68
  36. 68
Go, 85+Worth the trip, 70+Marginal, 55+Sit it out

Right now

Water
No reading

Largemouth bass range 55–85°

Wind
0 mph

From the

Light
Dark

Sunrise 7:27 am

Sky
Mostly Cloudy

No rain expected

Air
55°F

NWS hourly forecast

Barometer
Steady

Measured, last 3 hours

Moon
100% lit

Full

What’s biting

Each species is scored against its own water-temperature range and tide preference, then wind, weather and warnings. The rules are Arkansas regulations for these waters.

Largemouth Bass

Largemouth bass

Micropterus salmoides

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Largemouth bass bite in 55–85° water, best near 72°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–25 ft down.

Keep

10 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 10 black bass a day combined, no statewide minimum on largemouth. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15" and 6 a day; Ouachita is 13" and 6 a day, plus 10 spotted bass.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Season here: Mar–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on largemouth bass

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth bass

Micropterus dolomieu

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Smallmouth bass bite in 55–78° water, best near 68°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–30 ft down.

Keep

12" minimum · 6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas: 12" minimum on smallmouth; 6 a day in reservoirs, 2 a day in flowing water, and 1 of at least 15" on blue-ribbon streams. Beaver and Bull Shoals are 15", 6 black bass a day combined.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Season here: Mar–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on smallmouth bass

Walleye

Walleye

Sander vitreus

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Walleye bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 10–40 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 6 walleye a day. Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork are 18" and 4 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Season here: Nov–Apr, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on walleye

Striped Bass

Striped bass

Morone saxatilis

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Striped bass bite in 50–72° water, best near 62°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 5–35 ft down.

Keep

6 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 6 striped and hybrid bass a day combined, no minimum. Beaver allows 3 with a 20" minimum on striped bass; Ouachita allows 3 striped bass.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Season here: Apr–May, Oct–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on striped bass

Crappie

Crappie

Pomoxis spp.

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Crappie bite in 50–80° water, best near 65°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 3–20 ft down.

Keep

30 a day

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas statewide: 30 crappie a day, no minimum. Beaver, Bull Shoals and Norfork are 10" and 15 a day.

Verified Oct 23, 2026 · Arkansas

Season here: Mar–May, Oct–Dec, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on crappie

Common Carp

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

68MarginalToday, 1 pm–6 pm

Water

No water reading here right now. Common carp bite in 52–86° water, best near 72°.

Why

Light chop — baitfish active, fish willing to feed. Holds 1–15 ft down.

Keep

no daily limit

Open. Keep fish within the limits. Arkansas treats common carp as a rough fish. Its statewide length and daily limits do not include carp.

Verified Oct 18, 2026 · Arkansas

Last checked 8 days ago. Rules may have changed.

Season here: Apr–Nov, estimated from local air temperature, 2023–2025; there is no water gauge here. More on common carp

The water

  • Water temperatureNo reading
  • Barometer30.34 inHg, steady

Sun, moon & solunar

  • Sunrise today7:27 am
  • Sunset today6:20 pm
  • MoonFull, 100% lit
  • Minor solunarToday 7:30 am–8:30 am
  • Major solunarToday 12:10 pm–2:10 pm
  • Minor solunarToday 5:50 pm–6:50 pm

Solunar tables are a popular heuristic. A peer-reviewed test found they don’t predict catch on their own, so here they only nudge the score when the tide or moon already agree. How the score works

Fishing report

No current report covers these waters.

We only show reports an agency has published, with their date. Arkansas Game & Fish has the state’s fishing pages.

Licenses and rules: state fishery agencies · fish-consumption advisories

About this spot

A huge, clear White River reservoir in the Arkansas Ozarks — trophy largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, walleye, striped bass, and crappie, with a celebrated trout tailwater below the dam.

Nearby

Public spots within 40 miles, with the same 36 hours of floats.

White River (Bull Shoals tailwater)9 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–6 pm
74Worth the trip
Norfork River22 mi · ArkansasBest today 1 pm–8 pm
86Go

Questions people ask

Do I need a fishing license to fish at Bull Shoals Lake?

Yes (anglers age 16 and older). To fish at Bull Shoals Lake you need the appropriate state fishing license. See the agency's current rules: the state agency website

What fish are commonly targeted at Bull Shoals Lake?

Bull Shoals Lake is listed on this site for 6 commonly-targeted species: Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Striped Bass, and 2 more. Which species is currently in season and which is scoring highest today is shown in the per-species ranking on this page.

When is the best time to fish at Bull Shoals Lake?

It depends more on the species and the day's conditions than on a fixed "best hour." Water temperature, weather, and — at tidal locations — the stage of the tide drive activity most. The per-species ranking on this page scores every target species at Bull Shoals Lake against today's live conditions, so the fish near the top are your best bets right now; check back as conditions change through the day.

What kind of access does Bull Shoals Lake have?

Bull Shoals Lake has multiple access types — pier, shoreline, and at least one public boat ramp.

Which state's fishing regulations apply at Bull Shoals Lake?

state agency regulations apply at Bull Shoals Lake. Size limits, creel limits, and seasonal closures are listed per species on each species page. Always confirm against the agency source linked from each regulation block — emergency closures can take effect mid-season.

Is Bull Shoals Lake tidal water?

No. Bull Shoals Lake is non-tidal — water level varies with rainfall, seasonal flow, and (where applicable) upstream dam releases rather than tidal exchange.