Flyfishermen flock to Wildcat Shoals, 12 miles below the dam on the east bank. The AGFC ramp is upstream from the shoal, off Denton Ferry Road (also known as Baxter County Road 1), but navigation can be rocky in low water. Denton Ferry runs off U.S. 62/412 in Cotter.

Eighteen miles downstream at Cotter, you’ll find a busy AGFC access, freshened up recently with a new ramp and rock vane for safer launching. It’s on the east bank of the river in the city park off U.S. Highway 62B.

Rim Shoal has an AGFC boat ramp on the east bank, 24 miles below the dam, where fly anglers typically outnumber boats. Five-pound rainbows that cruise here prove that the nearby catch-and-release area works, but they’re hard to catch. Rim Shoal is off Buford Cut-off Road near Gassville.

Four miles farther downriver on the Marion County side lies the Ranchette Access, off state Highway 101 east of Flippin. Motor upstream to the mouth of Crooked Creek, where smallmouths join the trout.

A short distance from the Buffalo City access, 32 miles below the dam in southern Baxter County, you’ll find more smallmouths and trout at the mouth of the Buffalo National River. Boaters enjoy the ramp off state Highway 126 (it’ll be called Buford Road, and then change to Buffalo Road at a four-way stop), but the most dedicated fly fishermen tromp along railroad tracks up to 1 1/2 miles to reach undisturbed water.

The Cartney Access, off a U.S. Forest Service road on the north edge of the Ozark National Forest in central Baxter County, is best left to adventurers willing to ford a creek. Instead, try the water at Shipp’s Ferry, on Shipp’s Ferry Road (Baxter County Road 61), just south of Shady Grove.

The Norfork Access, 44 miles below the dam, marks another majestic meeting of rivers. The North Fork River has even more trout per mile and empties into the White just off state Highway 5 near the Norfork community.

BELOW THE NORTH FORK
Some anglers prefer the upper White River, but the influx of cold water from the Norfork Tailwater keeps the fishing red-hot for another 45 to 50 miles. Here’s a look at some of the public accesses on the lower half of the White’s designated trout waters.

The next ramp downstream from Norfork, recently repaved, is at Red’s Landing in southeastern Baxter County. It’s off Dwelle Road (Baxter County Road 68), which runs off state Highway 5 just south of Norfork.

To reach Chesmond Ferry, 59 river miles downriver, follow the sign off state Highway 5 in Calico Rock in western Izard County. The AGFC maintains another ramp within Calico Rock’s city park; follow signs off the north end of the river bridge.

Mt. Olive, 74 miles downriver, is just above the Sylamore Catch-and-Release Area. A sign along state Highway 9 between Sylamore and Melbourne indicates the road to the ramp, which is on the east bank in southwestern Izard County.

At the Sylamore access, where state highways 5, 9 and 14 converge in Izard County, the White meets Sylamore Creek. There’s plenty of parking and a wide ramp, but it’s not particularly comfortable for waders or bank fishermen here.

One of the AGFC’s newest accesses, Roundbottom, serves Stone County. Follow the sign off state Highway 5 between Mountain View and Allison. If the trout don’t cooperate, check out the free live music in Mountain View’s town square.

At Guion, more than 90 miles from Bull Shoals dam, ramps serve either side of the state Highway 58 bridge. The AGFC defines Guion as the end of the trout waters, but the fish stubbornly refuse to abide by human boundaries and populate the river for several more miles. However, the farther south you go, the scarcer the trout become. Two more ramps in central Independence County’s Batesville put you in reach of a few trout as the river transitions to warmwater habitat.