Wade46/100
Wading is in play only where your chosen access has clear footing, legal entry, and no forced crossings.
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Fly fishing report · Southeast
Little Red River
A Greers Ferry tailwater report for generation-aware wading, trout tactics, fly selection, access planning, and current Arkansas rule checks.
Check flow & weatherToday's fishing decisionMost live data available
56
Use caution
Little Red River is a cautious call right now.
Current USGS flow is 348 cfs. It has risen about 33% over the past 6 hours. Today's flow is unusually low for this date and below the usual low-water marker near 505 cfs. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Best supported approachFloat
Watch nextFlow: Current USGS flow is 348 cfs. It has risen about 33% over the past 6 hours.
Updated Aug 3, 1:21 AM UTCUsually refreshes about every 45 minutes
Best supported approachFloat
Compare wading, bank fishing, and floating before choosing how you will fish.
Bank / edgeNeed data
This report does not describe this as a primary mode. Verify legal access, depth, launches, and retreat options before planning around it.
Float · Best fit48/100
A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
Check before you drive
Current flow and weather.
Look at whether the river is rising or falling, then check wind, rain, and storms. These can change both safety and fishing.
Loading current flow and weather.
Before you rely on this report
How current is this report?
Conditions can change quickly. Check these dates before you decide to fish, and open the official source when safety or rules matter.
- River conditions
- Checked Aug 2, 2026, 9:21 PM
- Fishing guidance
- Reviewed May 31, 2026
- Public access
- No reviewed map pin available
- Rules and closures
- Official rule links checked
High confidence in the current score inputs.
6 sources are listed below for you to open.
4 public access records are listed. Private spots are never shown.
Source checked Jul 30, 2026
Plan your access
Know where you can enter.
These are public parking, launch, trail, or recreation areas—not secret fishing spots. We never show an angler's private pins, notes, or photos here.
- 0
- Shown on map
- 4
- No map pin
Location checkedDescription only
01No map pin
Walk-in / wade
Greers Ferry Dam tailwater
The upper tailwater is the water-level decision point. Check generation before assuming a wade route is safe.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
AGFC says many premier Arkansas trout fisheries are below large dams and anglers should check generation conditions before visiting.
Low water can make shoals approachable, but a release from Greers Ferry Dam can make them unsafe quickly.
02No map pin
Area description
Public ramps and shoals near Heber Springs
Use public sites or permission-based access. Many convenient banks are private.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
AGFC says many premier Arkansas trout fisheries are below large dams and anglers should check generation conditions before visiting.
Low water can make shoals approachable, but a release from Greers Ferry Dam can make them unsafe quickly.
03No map pin
Area description
Collins Creek area
A useful nearby trout stop for some anglers, but it is not a substitute for checking Little Red tailwater rules.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
AGFC says many premier Arkansas trout fisheries are below large dams and anglers should check generation conditions before visiting.
Low water can make shoals approachable, but a release from Greers Ferry Dam can make them unsafe quickly.
04No map pin
Boat launch
Downstream resort corridors
Can be productive for floating or guided plans. Confirm launch, takeout, and private-property rules.
Restrictions and seasonal notes
AGFC says many premier Arkansas trout fisheries are below large dams and anglers should check generation conditions before visiting.
Low water can make shoals approachable, but a release from Greers Ferry Dam can make them unsafe quickly.
How to fish it
Start with generation, not the hatch.
The Little Red is a classic Arkansas tailwater below Greers Ferry Dam. Low water can create wading windows, while generation can quickly turn the same reach into boat water.
- Check USACE Greers Ferry release data before choosing a wading access.
- AGFC changed trout limits in 2026, so verify current rules before keeping fish.
- Midges, scuds, sowbugs, soft hackles, and small streamers are better starting points than big freestone attractors.
- Many productive banks are private or resort-controlled, so plan public access before the drive.
Why the score looks this way
FlowUse caution
USGS shows 348 cfs with a rising about 33% over about 6 hours trend. Today's flow is unusually low for this date and below the usual low-water marker near 505 cfs. Low water can make fish spooky, warm, pressured, or concentrated; check temperature and handling risk.
Water temperatureUse caution
USGS water temperature is about 68F. Fish early and stop if handling stress is likely.
Best mode nowUse caution
Float: A float is in play where this report supports boat access and wind, releases, and shuttle logistics are manageable.
SeasonHelps score
Summer: Cold tailwater keeps trout in play, but recreation traffic and generation timing decide the day.
Public alertsHelps score
No active NWS alert was returned for this forecast point.
Read the water
What changes the plan.
Fish the Little Red like a dam-controlled trout river: match your access and rig to generation first, then adjust flies to water clarity, depth, and the amount of angling pressure.
No generation
Look for shoals, slots, and low-water lanes. Use lighter rigs and watch for rising water.
One-unit style release
Edges, seams, and boat drifts become more important. Do not rely on a wade plan if water is rising.
High generation
Treat the river as float water unless you have a safe, local, confirmed bank plan.
Clear pressured water
Lengthen leaders, reduce split shot, and fish small natural patterns close to the bottom.
Your trip plan
Know when to go—and when to skip it.
Best flows
Use RiverReports and USGS 07076517 near Dewey for stage context, then check USACE or AGFC generation guidance before wading. Stable low water is best for walk-in plans; rising or generated water favors boats or protected bank edges.
When to skip
Skip or reset the Little Red plan when generation is rising, the intended bank access is private or unclear, current AGFC trout limits are not confirmed, or the day depends on yesterday's release pattern repeating.
Local plan
Choose the release window first, then pick the access. Start near Greers Ferry and Heber Springs for upper-tailwater context, use public ramps and permission-based access only, and keep Collins Creek as a nearby side stop rather than a substitute.
Backup water
If Little Red generation, access, or crowding is poor, compare the White River, Norfork Tailwater, or another Arkansas trout water before forcing the same release window.
Hatches & flies
Bring a flexible box.
TimingWhat to watchUseful flies
WinterMidges and limited surface activityZebra midge, ruby midge, Griffith's gnat, egg, small scud
Fly pattern · report suggests “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it ↗
Fly family · report suggests “ruby midge”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box SpringMidges, caddis, sowbugs, scudsScud, sowbug, soft hackle, caddis pupa, pheasant tail
Fly family · report suggests “Scud”Scud Fly PatternsScud patterns typically use a curved hook, tapered dubbed body, shellback, rib segmentation, antennae, and brushed legs. Olive, tan, gray, orange, weighted, bead-body, and pregnant forms remain labeled—not aliases for one recipe.See family guide ↗
Fly family · report suggests “sowbug”Sowbug and Cress Bug PatternsSowbug and cress-bug flies are generally flatter and more oval than scuds, with a segmented back and legs along both sides. Soft-hackle, dubbed, ostrich-herl, fire-bead, hot-bead, and pink forms remain labeled.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box SummerMidges, caddis, terrestrials near banksMidge emerger, elk hair caddis, ant, beetle, micro streamer
Fly family · report suggests “Midge emerger”Midge Patterns by StageMidge wording can mean a threadlike larva, wing-padded pupa, film emerger, tiny adult, or visible cluster. Those profiles fish at different depths.See family guide ↗
Fly pattern · report suggests “elk hair caddis”Elk Hair CaddisLook for a tented elk- or deer-hair wing, clipped hair head, dubbed body, rib, and hackle palmered along the body. The body color should be labeled because tiers often match different natural caddis colors.See photos & how to fish it ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box FallMidges and low-light baitfish movementZebra midge, leech, woolly bugger, sculpin, soft hackle
Fly pattern · report suggests “Zebra midge”Zebra MidgeLook for a very slim tapered thread body, evenly spaced contrasting wire rib, a small bead, and no tail or wing. The reviewed classic is black with silver wire and a silver bead. Red, olive, brown, glass-bead, jig-hook, resin-coated, or tailed forms must remain labeled variations rather than replacing the classic identity.See photos & how to fish it ↗
Fly family · report suggests “leech”Leech PatternsLeech patterns share an elongated moving silhouette, but material, weighting, hook orientation, and retrieve vary. Pine-squirrel, rabbit-strip, balanced, and Woolly Bugger forms remain separately labeled rather than being presented as one recipe.See family guide ↗+ 3 more reviewed guides in the Fly Box 01
Read generation data before driving and again before stepping into the river.
02
If the river starts rising, leave the wade position early rather than trying to finish a run.
03
On low water, fish small nymphs with light weight and long drifts through slots and shoals.
04
During release, fish protected banks, inside bends, and boat-friendly streamer lines.
05
Avoid redds and visibly spawning trout during winter and fall.
Rules & closures
Check the official rules before you go.
Open the agency page to confirm the exact river section, species, season, tackle rules, limits, and emergency closures.
Official links checkedRules for this river or sectionSpecial rule found
Reach-specific limit
Greers Ferry Tailwater
The 2026 trout daily limit is two fish, and trout longer than 14 inches must be released. Verify the current AGFC notice before retaining fish.
Rules checkedJul 30, 2026
Report a correction ↗Always follow the official rule
This summary helps with trip planning. The linked agency rule is the one you must follow.
Updates from anglers
What anglers are seeing.
Recent observations from general areas of Little Red River. We review every update before it appears and never publish exact fishing spots, private access details, or photo locations.
Angler updates are not loading right now.
You can still use the river plan above. Check back later for recent observations from other anglers.
Where this report comes from
Open the sources we checked.
Fishing guidance checked: May 31, 2026
Site check: Jul 14, 2026. We regularly test report links, live scores, flow and weather data, and page loading. The content date changes only when the fishing guidance or its sources change.
Common questions
Before you leave.
Can you wade the Little Red River?+
Yes, during low-water windows at suitable public access points, but dam generation can make the same water unsafe. Check USACE release data first.
What flies work on the Little Red River?+
Start with zebra midges, scuds, sowbugs, pheasant tails, soft hackles, eggs, and small streamers.
What flow source should I use?+
Use RiverReports for a quick chart, then verify Greers Ferry Dam release information from USACE before wading.
Are the 2026 trout limits different?+
Yes. AGFC announced reduced 2026 trout limits for Greers Ferry Tailwater. Confirm the current AGFC rule before harvesting trout.