Frequently Asked Questions

We get a lot of email inquiries that just want to know a bit more about our unique fishing operation. Please be sure to check if your questions have been covered below.

The biggest takeaway from this page is that we only operate during peak Trophy Season. Each and every night we go out there is a good chance that you will get the biggest Trout of your life to crush a mouse fly. Being able to fish hard, follow instructions, work as a team, & have faith in the program is absolutely your best shot to get a big fish regardless of when you book a trip. The Fish of a Lifetime sized Browns can happen at any moment, on any bank, regardless of how ‘slow’ the fishing may seem.

The harder you fish, the better your chances.

The more technical/adaptive of an angler you are, the better your chances.

Trophy hunting is a team effort. We are there to coach, instruct, keep your gear in ideal condition, and place the boat in as many high probability runs as possible.

If you want more information, feel free to reach out via email or text/call at:

Bryan@Wild-Trout.com -or- (208)403-9453

*Click ‘+’ on the right of the screen to expand.

  • The biggest takeaway from this page is that we only operate during peak trophy season. each and every night we go out there is a good chance that you will get the biggest trout of your life to crush a mouse fly. being able to fish hard, follow instructions, work as a team, and have faith in the program is absolutely your best chance to get a big fish regardless of when you book a trip. the Lifetime browns can happen at any moment on any bank, regardless of how ‘slow’ the fishing seems.

    The harder you fish, the better your chances.

    The more technical/adaptive of an angler you are, the better your chances.

    Trophy hunting is a team effort. we are there to coach, instruct, keep your gear in ideal condition, and place the boat in as many high probability runs as possible.

    There are so many variables to consider when trying to trophy hunt on the White River - which fortunately, is why we have a job! Let me first address the elephant in the room that everyone asks: Yes, moon phase does matter. But to what degree and why..? Well, that’s a simple question with an extremely complex answer. More over, there are so many other factors that additionally play a significant role in trophy hunting that in order to break it down we’re going to have to deep dive into the most important aspects worth considering.

    Here is a list of factors that effect the nocturnal predators on the White River:

    Moon phase, Water generation, Water temperature, Air temperature, Flow schedule, rising/dropping flows, Water-oxygen saturation, Barometer, Cloud cover, rain, wind, weather systems, Water clarity, Time of year - seasonal shifts in diet, Brown Trout migration patterns - flows, temps, spawn, pressure. Availability of bugs - Caddis, Mayflies, Hoppers, etc. Availability of forage fish - stocker Rainbows, Shad, Sculpin, Shiners, Weekend vs. Weekdays with amount of house/dock lights on the river.

    Here is yet another list of things to consider when thinking about your chances at a trophy Brown Trout:

    Skill level, Casting distance, Casting accuracy, Mental/physical endurance, Ability to adapt and think quickly. Mental fortitude to be able to pause before you set the hook on a big mouse eat.

    The last item in that list is without a doubt more important to your success than all other factors, hands down. Why?

    Big Brown Trout have a great love for eating mouse flies on the surface at night especially the ones on the White River. But they eat in a very unique way - extremely slowly! That means that if you are too quick on your hookset, you will not catch a trophy no matter how good the conditions may be. Their mouths are huge and when they rush up to eat your fly, they are not trying to get away with it quickly. They plan on grabbing their meal and hovering on the surface with it until they’re sure its real and that they have drowned it. If you can imagine a big brown trout probably doesn’t love the feeling of lively mouse feet scratching down their throat - instead they slowly drown their pray and hold on to it with the tip of their jaws just below the surface.

    Under the mask of darkness, these predators are at the very top of the food chain which means they have no reason to dive back down to the bottom with their meal. Besides, if their meal was to escape or they decide to readjust the mouse, frog, shad, etc. to eat it head first then it is much more likely to get away if they take the meal down to the bottom where things can pop out, hide in weeds, rocks, or logs.

    If an angler can dial in a pause that is 2 FULL SECONDS then they are dramatically more likely to land their “Lifetime Brown Trout”. The fact of the matter is that each boat each night has about a 50%+ chance to get a giant trout to hit their mouse fly. That doesn’t always mean they had it in their mouth or that it was a fair shot, but 26” - 36”+ Brown’s eat fake mice for us with very high regularity!

    For the sake of simplicity I am going to break down the top 3 measurable factors that affect the potential success of your trip:

    #1 most important is Water Level (cfs - cubic feet per second).

    The White River fluctuates dramatically because of power generation from Bull Shoals Dam which is a hydropower plant. The higher flows tend to be dramatically better for targeting the biggest fish. Anything over 6000 cfs will give you a higher chance at having more big fish active and feeding on banks. As a guide if I could pick a flow that is best I would probably choose 12,000cfs. Which is a fairly common night time flow on the White River May - September. We have success trophy hunting until about 20,000cfs. That being said there is always opportunity to get big fish even if the flows drop below ‘ideal’. The lowest good flow for fishing is about 2000cfs. Occasionally the dam will drop to 600cfs during drought years, dry months, or even a flash flood to help mitigate the flood water rushing downstream. 600cfs is not a good flow and fishing can be tough - but anglers with us still landed 8 browns over 28”+ or 10lb+ during these types of flows in the 2022 season. All hope is not lost!

    #2 most important factor is Moon Phase. This is the only predictable data point for us.

    The amount of light on the water can impact trouts’ feeding behaviors and patterns. Brown Trout that are highly predatory are likely to feed on a cycle based on availability of darkness. Even on a bright night, these large predators will push towards shady banks that are shielded from the moon, porch lights, dock lights, active roadways, and other sources of light.

    It seems obvious then that the New Moon (total moon darkness) should be best correct? Not exactly. The New Moon is however a safe bet for darkness. But during the half phases of the moon, there are times as the moon shifts across the night sky that allow fish a trigger event to start feeding as light suddenly drops behind the horizon. We often find that “shady banks” on a moonlit night can produce some of the largest fish of the season since one side of the river may be too bright but the opposite shady side is now super concentrated with all of the predatory active browns in that section of river.

    This allows us as an operation to run trips within ~3 nights on either side of the Full Moon as we chase shady banks and darkness. The White River corridor is part of the Ozarks which are famous for their tall cliff walls that often provide hours & hours of additional darkness for mousing.

    Do not underestimate the power of those super concentrated shady banks even on a moonlit night!

    #3 most important factor is water temps.

    If you only want a giant, this factor is null.

    Water temps only effect the fishing for Browns that are not exclusively nocturnal(i.e. smaller fish). This means 24” and under Browns on the White River will react to water temps and decide to either daytime feed or night feed. Usually the water temperature trigger event is 54F (August 1st forward) for these sub-trophy Browns. When the water temperatures rise above 54F we start catching a lot more medium browns, rainbows, cutthroat, etc. Before this water temp event, we are exclusively targeting giants as the small/medium fish are not active at night. The historical day that the White River crests 54F water is around August 1st each year.

    There is a point of confusion that after August 1st we are no longer trophy hunting, which is simply incorrect. The giant nocturnal browns always feed at night. For some anglers have more action & surface activity from 18 - 24” trout all night while searching for an eat from a giant is much more appealing.

    Everything else the same, higher water temperatures are extremely beneficial to you finding your trophy. Brown Trout metabolism and aggression continues to spike all the way until 66F - 68F. However, the White River never gets that warm so we do not have to worry about “too warm of water”. Below is an estimate of the ranges the water temps can be throughout each month that we operate:

    May: 44 - 48F

    June: 46 - 52F

    July: 50 - 55F

    August: 52 - 60F

    September: 57 - 62F

    All of the other factors listed above are what we as guides continuously measure, monitor, and take into consider as we plan each night with what types of mouse flies, how big the flies will be, how quickly the fly should retrieve, etc!

    HAVE FAITH IN THE PROGRAM. ITS WORKED MANY MANY TIMES BEFORE & IT WILL WORK FOR YOU IF YOU FISH HARD, PAUSE ON YOUR HOOKSETS, & DO AS YOUR GUIDE ASKS.

  • The accommodations of lodging and meals from our Private Chef are always optional.

    However, the trip price does NOT change if you decide to provide your own lodging, meals, or equipment.

    Our program offers only one standard trip which is 3 Nights of fishing + 4 Days of lodging, all meals, & equipment/flies.

  • The White River is a tailwater to Bull Shoals Reservoir in North-Central Arkansas. Bull Shoals Dam is a cold-water release that pumps out highly oxygenated 45-60 degree water year round.

    We fish exclusively from Jetboats in the top 40 miles of the White River. Our fishing lodge & private dock are located 8 miles downstream of the dam.

    The White River Lodge address is:

    333 Marion County 7004

    Flippin, AR 72634

  • Our program is exclusively night fishing. Typically fishing from 9:30pm to 5am. These means we are ONLY trying to catch the biggest Browns possible. But, trophy trout are not the only fish that are willing to bite at night. We have a highly variable bicatch of mostly 14-24 inch Rainbows and Browns.

    We consider anything over 26 inches to be a Trophy Class Brown Trout. Anything over 30 inches or 10 pounds would usually be considered “The Fish of a Lifetime” by most fisherman.

    However, the White River gives you a shot at Browns pushing 36 inches and 20+ pounds. This is never to be expected but those truly giants are swimming around our river and will occasionally be hooked or caught!

  • Starting in 2024 we are doing a limited run of 2 Night and 4 Night Trips. There is one set of these trips available each moon phase. 2 Night trips correspond with weekends and therefore are the highest priced trips we offer. 4 Night trips are prorated to nearly price match our standard 3 Night Trips.

  • Throughout any ecosystem on the planet, the apex predators have a tendency to become Nocturnal. Brown Trout in the White River are no different. A vast majority of the trout population in the White River is 16-22 inches, however, this system is home to an extraordinary class of Trophy Brown Trout. Somewhere in a young Brown Trout’s life they make a decision to continue to feed on bugs or make a diet shift and start feeding on larger food items. Once they make this shift they begin to grow rapidly as genetically they know that the larger they get, the more effective of a predator they will be as they reach the top of the food chain.

    As they switch over to a totally predatory diet they quickly realize the efficiency of hunting for prey at night. This is because their prey have a harder time seeing (or feeling their way around) under total darkness. As Alpha Brown Trout stalk flats or hunt structure, they adapt their eyes to being extremely sensitive. They also have lateral lines that are for sensing even the most subtle movements all around them. These characteristics allow them to feed in the safety of the night where external predators (such as a Heron, Eagle, or Otter) are very unlikely to attack.

    For the sake of the darkness, nothing is too dark for these Trophy Browns. However, a Full Moon (or bright house light) may cast enough light that they lose their distinctive advantages. Because of this, finding ‘shady banks’ is very helpful during moonlit nights - these dark banks can act as a concentrator for the predators seeking total darkness. As the moon phase shifts, different individual Browns will turn on and off their predatory instincts - we call this a Feeding Cycle.

    We have found over the many many years of combined night fishing experience that an individual Brown Trout will be willing to feed/hunt for a few nights in a row before going on a rest cycle. We also have found that each fish has a different Feeding Cycle making them harder to predict. The larger the population of Alpha Predatory Trout a system has, the more likely they are to spread out their aggressive habits away from one another. Meaning although the New Moon is a very ‘safe’ bet for many small population systems, on the White River we have such a grandious population of Trophies that different fish are avaliable throughout the entire Moon Phase. For brighter moons that just means the Browns that are on the prowl are likely on darker shaded banks or will be feeding during the small window of time before or after moonset.

  • With the information above, it is important to understand that predatory Brown Trout are feeding/hunting from an efficiency standpoint. On the White River we have access to near gin-clear water year round as it comes out of Bull Shoals Dam. This means that they can see to the surface of the river with ease even on the darkest nights.

    As a Brown hunts and grows they use structure and current lines to either ambush their prey or go prowling around. The most efficient structure and current line is the surface of the river. When an unsuspecting mouse goes swimming across the river, they are now prime targets for a Brown to come from the depths to inspect. With even the smallest amount of light from stars the Browns can chase not only the silhouette of the prey but also follow the wake that is created as it swims.

    This V-Wake amplifies a Browns ability to see and feel (with their lateral lines) a surface oriented meal. This wake and commotion makes the hunt much more of an opportunistic attack as you can trigger them to strike at your fly out of sheer curiosity.

    We use Mouse Flies to trigger these big Brown Trout to come to the surface and attack. Although the Browns, more than likely, are striking less because they think your fly is specifically a ‘mouse’ and more because you trigger a visual and lateral line response. This means that they may think your mouse fly is a frog, shrew, cicada, spider, bat, or all hosts of other things that end up swimming across a river at night.

    One of the most important things to dial in for this predatory response is the very specific retrieves that make the largest Browns willing to strike!

  • We are fully loaded to provide gear for anglers. Using 6wt, 7wt, & 8wt flyrods depending on the conditions presented. Often our reels are paired with a glow-in-the-dark flyline that assists in your ability to maintian line control while fishing in total darkness.

  • If you pause before you set the hook on every single bite you get on a trip with us, you have a very high chance at breaking 28 inches. Trophy Brown Trout are earned and not given.

    The only secret in the entire recipe for greater success (beyond what the guides provide such as fly pattern & boat position) is to PAUSE 2 SECONDS BEFORE YOU SET THE HOOK ON EVERY BITE YOU GET.

  • As Browns switch over to a totally predatory diet they quickly realize the efficiency of hunting for prey at night. This is because their prey have a harder time seeing (or feeling their way around) under total darkness. As Alpha Brown Trout stalk flats or hunt structure, they adapt their eyes to being extremely sensitive. They also have lateral lines that are for sensing even the most subtle movements all around them. These characteristics allow them to feed in the safety of the night where external predators (such as a Heron, Eagle, or Otter) are very unlikely to attack.

    For the sake of the darkness, nothing is too dark for these Trophy Browns. However, a Full Moon (or bright house light) may cast enough light that they lose their distinctive advantages. Because of this, finding ‘shady banks’ is very helpful during moonlit nights - these dark banks can act as a concentrator for the predators seeking total darkness. As the moon phase shifts, different individual Browns will turn on and off their predatory instincts - we call this a Feeding Cycle.

    We have found over the many many years of combined night fishing experience that an individual Brown Trout will be willing to feed/hunt for a few nights in a row before going on a rest cycle. We also have found that each fish has a different Feeding Cycle making them harder to predict. The larger the population of Alpha Predatory Trout a system has, the more likely they are to spread out their aggressive habits away from one another. Meaning although the New Moon is a very ‘safe’ bet for many small population systems, on the White River we have such a grandious population of Trophies that different fish are avaliable throughout the entire Moon Phase. For brighter moons that just means the Browns that are on the prowl are likely on darker shaded banks or will be feeding during the small window of time before or after moonset.

  • For the skilled dialed angler, the specific month matters less for their chances at a giant Brown. We have caught Browns 32”+ and 15-25 pounds during every month of the season.

    However, 99% of Trophy Brown Trout are caught by our anglers from their ability & willingness to PAUSE BEFORE THEY SET THE HOOK. No kidding, thats absolutely the most important thing you can do to greatly increase your chances.