Live wading and fishing conditions for 35 Arkansas rivers
Every river below is monitored through its USGS streamflow gauges, refreshed every 15 minutes and rated in plain language for wading safety. Select a river for the live dashboard with current flow, trend, weather and community reports.
White River
Arkansas's crown jewel and one of America's great tailwater trout fisheries — the cold, spring-clear releases below Bull Shoals Dam run for scores of miles past Cotter and Calico Rock, holding enormous rainbows and trophy browns. Flow is entirely generation-controlled by the Southwestern Power Administration: it fishes best on low, wadeable water and turns into a deep, fast float river the moment turbines spin, so the dam schedule matters far more than any single CFS number.
Region: North-Central Tailwaters · Fish for: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout · USGS gauges: White River Near Norfork, Ar, White River At Calico Rock, Ar
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Buffalo River
America's first National River and the wade-and-float jewel of the Ozarks — a clear, free-flowing smallmouth stream carving towering bluffs from Ponca down to the White. Protected end to end by the National Park Service, it runs skinny and technical up high in summer and flashes hard after rain, but on settled water it is the finest float-stream smallmouth fishing in the state.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Buffalo River At Ponca, Ar, Buffalo River At Pruitt, Ar, Buffalo River Near St. Joe, Ar
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Little Red River
The Greers Ferry tailwater and the water that gave up a former world-record brown trout — cold, clear releases below Greers Ferry Dam winding past Heber Springs through some of the South's finest fly water. Like the White, it is release-driven: the famous Cow Shoals and JFK Park reaches wade on low generation and disappear under fast water when the dam pulls power.
Region: North-Central Tailwaters · Fish for: Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout · USGS gauges: Little Red River Near Dewey, Ar
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Crooked Creek
Arkansas's blue-ribbon smallmouth stream — a clear, intimate Ozark creek near Yellville that the state manages specifically as a trophy bronzeback fishery. Low and wadeable through much of the year, it is a fly and light-tackle angler's dream of gravel shoals, deep bluff holes, and hard-fighting smallmouth.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass · USGS gauges: Crooked Creek At Kelly Crossing At Yellville, Ar
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Illinois River
Northwest Arkansas's marquee smallmouth float — the Illinois runs clear and green over gravel and ledge rock from the Fayetteville area northwest toward the Oklahoma line past Savoy and Siloam Springs. A spring-fed Springfield Plateau stream, it holds strong numbers of smallmouth and spotted bass and is a popular paddle-and-wade fishery when summer flows drop and clear.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Illinois River At Savoy, Ar, Illinois River At Hwy. 16 Near Siloam Springs Ar
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Spring River
A cold, spring-fed float stream fed by the massive outflow at Mammoth Spring, running clear and cool year-round past Hardy and Imboden. The steady spring water supports both smallmouth and a put-and-take trout fishery up top, with lively shoals and a famous man-made rapid that make it one of northeast Arkansas's best canoe-and-wade rivers.
Region: Northeast Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout · USGS gauges: Spring River At Spring Street Bridge At Hardy, Ar, Spring River At Imboden, Ar
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Kings River
A beautiful, clear Ozark smallmouth float feeding Table Rock Lake — Kings runs over gravel and past tall bluffs through Carroll County, quiet and wadeable in summer and a fine spring-and-fall canoe river. Less crowded than the Buffalo, it rewards anglers who work its long shoal-and-pool stretches for bronze.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Kings River Near Berryville, Ar
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Caddo River
A clear, cool Ouachita float above Lake DeGray — the Caddo runs over gravel and past shady bluffs through Caddo Gap and Glenwood, popular with paddlers and wade anglers alike. It is a smallmouth and spotted-bass river up high, with a modest stocked-trout tailwater below DeGray Dam downstream.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Caddo River Near Caddo Gap, Ar
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Arkansas River
The great navigation river bisecting the state — a chain of huge McClellan-Kerr lock-and-dam pools from Fort Smith through Little Rock to the Delta. This is boat-and-bank big-river fishing for blue and channel catfish, white bass, striper, sauger, and buffalo in the tailrace current; treat conditions as big-river stage and current safety, never a wade number.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, White Bass · USGS gauges: Arkansas River At Ft. Smith, Ar., Arkansas River Near Morrilton, Ar
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Big Piney Creek
One of Arkansas's premier whitewater floats and a fine Ozark smallmouth stream — Big Piney tumbles clear through the Ozark National Forest past Long Pool on its way to the Arkansas River. Paddlers chase spring flows; when the water drops and clears it becomes classic wade-and-float smallmouth water over boulder and gravel.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Big Piney Creek At Highway 164 Near Dover, Ar
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Eleven Point River
The Arkansas reach of a storied Ozark float — the Eleven Point slides out of Missouri's spring country into Randolph County as a clear, cool smallmouth and spotted-bass stream. Quieter and less developed than its famous upstream miles, it offers gravel-bar wading and long float pools for anglers willing to seek it out.
Region: Northeast Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Eleven Point River Near Ravenden Springs, Ar
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Cossatot River
The Ouachitas' most famous whitewater — the name means 'skull crusher' — and a wild, clear smallmouth stream protected within the Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area. Below the Class III–IV Cossatot Falls it runs cold and pure over shelf rock; when flows drop it fishes as a scenic wade-and-float smallmouth river.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Cossatot River Near Vandervoort, Ar
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Mulberry River
Arkansas's premier whitewater float and a fine wade-and-float smallmouth river — the Mulberry tumbles clear and free through the Ozark National Forest past Turner Bend and Redding, drawing paddlers in spring and anglers in summer. When flows settle it runs skinny and gin-clear over gravel and boulders, classic Ozark smallmouth water.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Mulberry River Near Mulberry, Ar
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Ouachita River
The Ouachita is two rivers in one — up high near Mount Ida it is a clear, wadeable smallmouth float through the Ouachita National Forest, while below Remmel and the lower dams near Camden it becomes a broad, slow big river for catfish, drum, and bass. Frame the upper reach as a wade/float stream and the lower reach as boat-and-bank water.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Ouachita River Near Mount Ida, Ar, Ouachita River At Camden, Ar
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Saline River
The last major free-flowing river in the Ouachita system — the Saline runs undammed from its Ouachita Mountain forks down through Benton and Sheridan toward the Delta, offering clear upper smallmouth water and slower lower reaches for bass and catfish. Its unbroken flow makes it a conservation and float-fishing favorite.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Saline River At Benton, Ar, Saline River Near Sheridan, Ar, Saline River Near Rye, Ar
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War Eagle Creek
A classic Ozark smallmouth creek feeding Beaver Lake — War Eagle winds clear over gravel and bedrock past Withrow Springs State Park and the historic War Eagle Mill. It runs skinny and gin-clear in summer, prime wade-and-float water for smallmouth, spots, and goggle-eye.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass (Goggle-eye) · USGS gauges: War Eagle Creek Near Hindsville, Ar
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Little Missouri River
A clear, boulder-strewn Ouachita stream draining the Cossatot country above Lake Greeson — the upper Little Missouri near Langley is a scenic smallmouth and spotted-bass float with a small stocked-trout tailwater below Narrows Dam downstream. The upper canyon reaches flash violently after rain and demand respect.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Little Missouri River Near Langley, Ar
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Black River
A clear-to-stained Ozark border river dropping out of Missouri through Pocahontas and Black Rock — the Black holds smallmouth and walleye up high and turns into fine catfish and largemouth water as it broadens toward the White. A versatile float and boat river with strong spring walleye and white-bass runs.
Region: Northeast Ozarks · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Black River At Pocahontas, Ar, Black River At Black Rock, Ar
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Fourche LaFave River
A long Ouachita foothills river that gathers in the mountains near Gravelly, fills Nimrod Lake, and runs on toward the Arkansas River near Aplin. The upper reaches are gravel-bar smallmouth and spotted-bass water; below Nimrod Dam it widens into a warmwater river holding largemouth, catfish, and white bass.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Fourche Lafave River Near Gravelly, Ar, Fourche Lafave River Near Aplin, Ar
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Little River
The tailwater and lower river below Millwood Lake in far southwest Arkansas — Little River flows out of Millwood Dam past Horatio through cypress-lined Red River bottoms. Fed by one of the South's best bass lakes, it is trophy warmwater water for largemouth and spotted bass, big blue and flathead catfish, and spring white bass runs.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Blue Catfish · USGS gauges: Little River Near Horatio, Ar
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Red River
The broad, red-tinged river forming the Texas and Louisiana border in far southwest Arkansas — a big, slow catfish and rough-fish river running through Miller and Little River counties. This is boat-and-bank water for trophy blue and flathead catfish, drum, gar, and buffalo; frame conditions as big-river stage and flood logic, not a wading maximum.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Blue Catfish, Flathead Catfish, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Red River At Index, Ar, Red River At Fulton, Ar, Red River At Spring Bank, Ar
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Cadron Creek
A popular central-Arkansas float on the Ozark fringe northwest of Conway — Cadron Creek runs clear over gravel and bluff rock before joining the Arkansas River at historic Cadron Settlement. A favorite paddling stream, it holds smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass plus goggle-eye in the pools and shoals.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Cadron Creek Near Guy, Ar
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Bayou Bartholomew
The longest bayou in the world and one of North America's most biologically diverse streams — Bayou Bartholomew winds slow and tannin-dark for hundreds of miles through southeast Arkansas's Delta past Star City, McGehee, and Portland. It is a rich warmwater fishery of largemouth, crappie, bream, catfish, gar, and bowfin in the cypress, wood, and oxbow backwaters.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Bayou Bartholomew At Garrett Bridge, Ar, Bayou Bartholomew Near Mcgehee, Ar, Bayou Bartholomew Near Portland, Ar
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Petit Jean River
An Arkansas River Valley river that rises in the Ouachita foothills, backs up into Blue Mountain Lake near Waveland, and meanders on past Danville toward the Arkansas. It is warmwater bass and catfish country — largemouth and spotted bass in the wood and rock, channel and flathead cats in the deeper holes.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Petit Jean River Near Booneville, Ar, Petit Jean River At Danville, Ar
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Illinois Bayou
An Ozark National Forest float dropping off the Boston Mountains toward Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River near Scottsville. Clear and gravel-bottomed in its upper reaches, it is a wade-and-float smallmouth stream up high and a largemouth and spotted-bass river where it slows into the Dardanelle backwater.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Illinois Bayou Near Scottsville, Ar
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Cache River
A slow, tannic Delta bottomland river winding through some of the largest remaining tracts of cypress-tupelo swamp in the country, protected by the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge. This is flatwater backwater fishing for largemouth, catfish, bowfin, and gar among the flooded timber — a float-and-bank river, not a wade stream, best framed by stage and flood logic.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Cache River At Egypt, Ar, Cache River At Patterson, Ar
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North Sylamore Creek
A jewel-clear Ozark creek in the Sylamore country of the Ozark National Forest, running past Blanchard Springs and Gunner Pool to meet the White River at Allison. It is a scenic wade fishery for smallmouth and goggle-eye, with cool spring water and stocked trout near the White River confluence.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass (Goggle-eye) · USGS gauges: North Sylamore Creek Near Fifty Six, Ar
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Bayou Meto
A famous Grand Prairie Delta bayou best known for the vast Bayou Meto WMA duck woods, but also a productive warmwater fishery. The slow, wood-choked channel and its backwaters hold largemouth, bream, crappie, channel catfish, and bowfin through the timber and oxbows.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Bayou Meto Near Lonoke, Ar
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Poteau River
A western Arkansas river rising in the Ouachitas near Waldron and flowing across the Oklahoma line toward Wister Lake and the Arkansas. The Arkansas reaches are quiet warmwater water for largemouth and spotted bass, channel and flathead catfish, and the occasional white bass moving up from downstream.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Poteau River At Cauthron, Ar
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Spavinaw Creek
A small, spring-fed smallmouth creek in the far northwest corner, running clear over gravel past Maysville and Cherokee City toward the Oklahoma line. Cold, clean Springfield Plateau water makes it a scenic wade fishery for smallmouth and goggle-eye when flows allow.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass (Goggle-eye) · USGS gauges: Spavinaw Creek Near Maysville, Ar, Spavinaw Creek Near Cherokee City, Ar
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Antoine River
A small Ouachita foothills river flowing off the mountains past the town of Antoine toward the Little Missouri and Ouachita systems. Clear and gravel-bottomed in its upper reaches, it is a low-key wade-and-float stream for smallmouth, spotted, and largemouth bass.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Antoine River At Antoine, Ar
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L'Anguille River
A Crowley's Ridge Delta river running south past Colt and Palestine to join the lower St. Francis country — slow, turbid, and lined with agricultural bottoms. It is a workmanlike warmwater fishery: channel and flathead catfish in the holes, largemouth and bream around the wood, gar and buffalo in the slow current.
Region: Delta & Big Rivers · Fish for: Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass · USGS gauges: L'Anguille R Nr Whitehall, Ar, Languille River Near Colt, Ar, Languille River At Palestine, Ar
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Baron Fork
A clear Ozark smallmouth stream in the far northwest, rising near Dutch Mills and flowing across the Oklahoma line to the Illinois River. Small and gravel-bottomed, it is a scenic wade fishery for smallmouth and goggle-eye when summer flows settle and clear.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Rock Bass (Goggle-eye) · USGS gauges: Baron Fork At Dutch Mills, Ar
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Osage Creek
A Springfield Plateau tributary of the Illinois River draining the Cave Springs and Elm Springs country of Benton and Washington counties. A small clear-water smallmouth creek, it fishes best as a summer wade stream for smallmouth, spots, and goggle-eye when flows drop.
Region: Ozark Highlands · Fish for: Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass · USGS gauges: Osage Creek Near Cave Springs, Ar, Osage Creek Near Elm Springs, Ar
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Smackover Creek
A slow, tannin-stained Gulf Coastal Plain creek in the south Arkansas oil country, winding through pine and hardwood bottoms past Smackover to the Ouachita River. It is a quiet warmwater fishery for largemouth and spotted bass, channel and flathead catfish, and bream in the wood and backwaters.
Region: Ouachita Mountains · Fish for: Largemouth Bass, Channel Catfish · USGS gauges: Smackover Creek Near Smackover, Ar
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