Poteau River Site 11 Dam Fishing Guide, Scott County, Arkansas

• Overview

  Poteau River Site 11 Dam sits in Scott County, out in Arkansas. The bank is 833 feet above sea level. With some 39 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. With about 1.2 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. 13 miles away sits Waldron, the nearest town. Beyond it, Mansfield at 15 miles and Heavener at 16 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Poteau River Site 11 Dam

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Scott County records list orangethroat darter, spotted bass, cypress darter, orangespotted sunfish and redspot darter among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Fish this water to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 79°F and January near 38°F. The hard part of the year is the heat, not the cold. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer squeezes it into the edges of the day. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. That shapes the year on this water.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Denton Creek at 2.6 miles is the sensible second choice. None of that is settled for this water in what we hold.