Share your catch

Little Red River Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Home of the once-world-record brown: a cold Arkansas tailwater where 30-pound genetics still swim the sowbug flats below Greers Ferry Dam.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
98 / 98 F
Wind
SSE 6 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 07076000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Little Red River is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SSE around 6 mph, steady pressure near 1012 hPa and a high of 98. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 101 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Little Red River near Heber Springs.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp98 F
High / Low98 / 73 F
WindSSE 6-7 mph
Pressure1012.4 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain6% cloud, 3%
Sunrise / Sunset06:42 / 19:31
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Partly cloudy, 98/73 F, wind 7 mph, rain 3%

Fair or better. Calm and stable: plan around the solunar majors at dawn and dusk.

Species guide

The species that matter on Little Red River: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Little Red River calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Little Red River today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 8 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 95 F, wind to 7 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 96 F, wind to 5 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Arkansas requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Arkansas license + trout permit. Cow Shoals: seasonal catch-and-release and gear rules: check AGFC. Generation: SWPA schedule daily.

Access

JFK/Greers Ferry Dam access, Cow Shoals walk-in, Libby Shoal, Pangburn and Dripping Springs ramps.

About this water

30+ tailwater miles below Greers Ferry Dam, Cleburne/White counties, AR. The 40-lb brown's home.

Fishing Little Red River: the full guide

The record's home water

In 1992 the Little Red gave up a 40-lb 4-oz brown trout: a world record for decades and the genetic advertisement for this tailwater's potential. The river below Greers Ferry Dam still grows browns in the 20-pound class on its sowbug-and-shad economy: every drift here carries a lottery ticket.

Sowbug school

Daily fishing is small-fly precision: sowbugs and midges (14-18) drifted through the gravel runs at Cow Shoals and Libby Shoal for rainbows and the juvenile browns. Generation schedules rule access: low water wades beautifully; releases float the river and move the big fish to feed. The shad-kill winters (dam-passed baitfish) trigger the giant bites: white streamers when the gulls show.

JFK and the wade culture

The John F. Kennedy access below the dam anchors the fishery: campground, ramps and the classic first mile. Downstream, Cow Shoals' catch-and-release section protects the brown spawn (seasonal rules), and the river winds 30 fishable miles through Pangburn toward Searcy: drift boats own the middle river that waders never see.

Timing the Little Red

Winter: shad kills and trophy streamer season. Spring: caddis afternoons and steady sowbug work. Summer: reliable cold water when everything else in Arkansas cooks: dawn wades before generation. Fall: spawning browns on redds: fish ethically, skip the beds, and respect the seasonal closures that keep the record genetics breeding.

Common questions

Could the Little Red produce another world record?

The genetics and forage say yes: 20-plus-pound browns still show every few seasons. Winter shad kills below the dam are the realistic giant window: big white flies, stout tippet, patience.

How do I check Little Red generation?

SWPA posts Greers Ferry release schedules daily: low water means wading, releases mean float or leave. The river changes character in minutes: never wade without the schedule.

Is fishing good at Little Red River right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Greers Ferry Lake11 miLake Conway41 miBuffalo River53 miNorfork Lake64 miSpring River66 miNimrod Lake78 mi
Share your catch