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Brook Trout

Brook Trout

Brook trout are not native to Arkansas but are found in several of the state's tailwater fisheries below dams. In Arkansas, brook trout are stocked alongside rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and tiger trout in cold tailwater systems.

Physical Characteristics:
  • Brook trout in Arkansas waters are typically smaller than their counterparts in northern lakes, averaging 6-15 inches and weighing 1-5 pounds, with their distinctive olive-green backs marked by yellow spots and red spots bordered by pale blue along the sides.
  • Their colors intensify dramatically during fall spawning season when males develop bright orange-red flanks with black stripes.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Found in cold tailwater systems below dams.

Key Locations

  • White River, Little Red River, Norfork River (North Fork), Spring River, and occasionally in the Little Missouri and Ouachita Rivers during cooler months.
  • The White River system below Bull Shoals Dam contains all five trout species and offers roughly 100 miles of trout water.
  • The Little Red River offers excellent wade fishing at JFK Park below Greers Ferry Dam, Cow Shoals, and Wilburn Bridge areas.

Specific Spots

  • Target areas with cover like tree roots, rocks, overhangs, and submerged vegetation.

Brook Trout FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Brook Trout in Arkansas?

Small jigs, spoons, and spinners. Popular baits include nightcrawlers, redworms, wax worms, corn, and commercial dough baits fished near the bottom.

What flies work for Brook Trout in Arkansas?

Sowbugs and scuds in sizes 16-20, nymphs, soft hackles, and woolly buggers. During midge hatches use patterns smaller than size 20. March brown patterns work well in spring, while caddis imitations are effective during April hatches. For streamer fishing, woolly buggers, sculpins, and small minnow patterns.

When is the best time to fish for Brook Trout in Arkansas?

Brook trout fishing in Arkansas is excellent from March through May and again from October through December. Spring fishing picks up as water temperatures reach the mid-40s to 50s, while fall provides excellent action before spawning begins in late September.

How do you catch Brook Trout in Arkansas?

For streamer fishing, cast woolly buggers, sculpins, and small minnow patterns across current and strip erratically. Fish the deeper channels from boats or wade-fish the shoals and riffles during low water periods.

What do Brook Trout eat?

Brook trout feed opportunistically on a wide variety of organisms including aquatic insects (mayflies, caddisflies, midges), terrestrial insects (ants, beetles, grasshoppers), worms, small fish, and crustaceans like scuds and crayfish.

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