The White River - A World Class Trout Fishery
A Quiet And Peaceful Spot On The White River
One of the blessings we have here in northwest Arkansas is the number of different opportunities to enjoy the many natural wonders of the area, most of them free! The White River is one of them, and a world class trout fishery with anglers from around the globe visiting our area to catch rainbow trout. In addition there are brown, cutthroat and brook trout. It is also home to catfish, bass, walleye and sunfish. The Arkansas Game And Fish Commission has done a wonderful job of providing and maintaining public access to the river.
A friend of mine mentioned that many years ago he used fly fish the White River at a place called Wildcat Shoals. He asked if I wanted to travel down there and see if we could find it. He said there was a road you could take that followed the river for many miles and was quite picturesque. I eagerly accepted his invitation and we took off for Big Spring which feeds into the White River at Cotter.
A friend of mine mentioned that many years ago he used fly fish the White River at a place called Wildcat Shoals. He asked if I wanted to travel down there and see if we could find it. He said there was a road you could take that followed the river for many miles and was quite picturesque. I eagerly accepted his invitation and we took off for Big Spring which feeds into the White River at Cotter.
.We took the road from Big Spring that followed the river current. We had our cameras at the ready and stopped often to take pictures (my friend took the opening picture and also the picture of the flower). There are plenty of places to stop along the road plus quite a few spots where you can walk right down to the river back and get some really terrific views.
As we traveled alongside the river on a paved road we saw virtually no other traffic. The road went for some miles before meeting up with Highway 62. We crossed the highway and then turned down Denton Ferry Road, which meandered alongside the river. This was a more developed part of the river with some private residences on the shore. Boat traffic picked up and we saw quite a few folks out trying their hand at catching a lunker trout.
Denton Ferry Road started out as a paved road, then turned into a gravel road, then a dirt road. We could see across the river and there were many normal houses and also some pretty fantastic, large homes too! We continued to find spots where you could get down onto the river and finally we arrived at Wildcat Shoals. It was a very open place, with a boat ramp and space to fish from the shore. As we moved downriver we spotted other pubic access points on the other side. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission makes sure you can use this public resource by providing many such areas.
We had traveled some distance, stopping to enjoy the views and have a couple snack breaks, when we observed that it was getting late in the morning, so we turned back and headed home. It was a fun road trip with many interesting and inviting places to stop along the way..
The White River is a year round paradise. You can rent a boat for a day or a week, stay in a rustic cabin or in a luxury home. Several dams along the river provide recreational lakes with more fishing opportunities. Take some time to visit our neck of the woods and experience the White River in all its glory.
The White River is a year round paradise. You can rent a boat for a day or a week, stay in a rustic cabin or in a luxury home. Several dams along the river provide recreational lakes with more fishing opportunities. Take some time to visit our neck of the woods and experience the White River in all its glory.