Tailwater · Limestone · Arkansas

Norfork (North Fork) River below Norfork Dam

Norfork Dam venue image
Google Places

The Norfork is the White's compact, famous little sibling — a short, cold, intensely fished tailwater below Norfork Dam where brown trout were stocked back in 1949 and have been growing large and wary ever since.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature8228% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
26°C
Wind
E 12 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1019 hPa
Rain · 48h
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain
Rain · ahead
8.2 mm
Light rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year
  • Catch-and-release / artificial-only / slot rules apply on parts of the river — verify current AGFC reach rules
  • Arkansas trout permit/licence applies.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Norfork is the White's compact, famous little sibling — a short, cold, intensely fished tailwater below Norfork Dam where brown trout were stocked back in 1949 and have been growing large and wary ever since. Because it's short and intimate, it's even more generation-sensitive than the White: a single unit coming on can turn a delicate low-water wade into a fast, pushy river in the time it takes to walk back to the truck. On low water it's exquisite technical fishing — midges, scuds and sowbugs on the famous catch-and-release flats, sight-fished to big rainbows and the odd trophy brown. On generation it's drift-and-streamer water. The fish are educated and the tippet is thin; this is a river that rewards finesse and punishes the angler who doesn't watch the water rise.

  • Limestone
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Other water nearby · 2