Bull Shoals Lake

A lake that straddles two states

Bull Shoals Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on the White River, spread across the Arkansas–Missouri line in the Ozarks. The Corps’ Little Rock District lists bass, walleye, crappie, catfish and trout among the fish visitors pursue. Its size and its long arms mean the lake has very different moods from end to end. A launch in Missouri and one near the dam in Arkansas can be a long way apart by road.

LakeWatchers does not publish a completion year for Bull Shoals Dam. The official sources we checked disagree, and we would rather leave the date out than repeat a wrong one.

The ferry that carries a state highway

One of the lake’s distinctive features is a road that crosses it by boat. Recreation.gov’s listing for the Corps’ Highway 125 Park describes the park as a departure point for the Peel Ferry, which links Highway 125 between Arkansas and Missouri and saves drivers a long trip around the lake. Recreation.gov calls it the last remaining ferry of its kind in Arkansas.

Because the ferry is part of the highway system, its hours and any service interruptions are set by the state, not by a campground listing. Check the Arkansas Department of Transportation’s current notice before building a trip around a crossing, especially early or late in the day.

Walleye, high water and planted brush

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has reported a strong walleye fishery on Bull Shoals and ties it to a run of high-water years. Flooded grass and brush that would normally sit above the waterline give spawning walleye extra habitat and help more eggs survive. The same article reports research by a local walleye club on the temperatures and oxygen levels walleye prefer. It also notes that the fish move closer to shore in April and May and feed nearer the bottom as the water warms.

Cover is also built on purpose. AGFC describes habitat work on Bull Shoals in which crews cut cedars and oaks from the shoreline, under an agreement with the Corps, and sank them as fish attractors. The agency says attractors have been added to the lake since at least 1988, more than 500 in all. Most brush piles in that project were set to sit 20 to 30 feet deep at full pool. AGFC says they concentrate bass, crappie, walleye and catfish, though not open-water species. AGFC publishes attractor coordinates, and the current Arkansas guidebook has the limits.

Trout water and a visitor center above the dam

Below the dam, the White River becomes a cold tailwater. Bull Shoals–White River State Park sits along both the lake and the river and calls itself the state’s premier park for trout fishing. It has riverside camping, a marina and store with boat rentals and tackle, and trout fishing workshops among its interpretive programs. The park’s James A. Gaston Visitor Center stands high above Bull Shoals Dam, with exhibits and a theater on the area’s history and fishing. The visitor center has no camping. Campers use the park’s separate camp area by the river.

Recreation.gov’s park listings point visitors to two hiking trails in the state park. The Big Bluff Trail overlooks the White River below the dam, and the Lakeside Trail follows the lake shore. The river level below a hydropower dam can rise when generation starts, so anyone fishing or walking near the water should know the release schedule and watch for rising water.

Picking a lake access

Corps parks around the lake differ in what they offer. Theodosia Park, on the Missouri side, lists a marina, a boat ramp, a swimming area and electric hookups at most sites. Highway 125 Park lists electric campsites, a swimming area and a marina. Season dates, fees and ramp usability change with operations and lake level. Use each listing and the current elevation as your guide, not an old trip report.