Trout Fishing on the White River

Two weeks ago we headed to Flippin, Arkansas to celebrate Nick’s 40th by trout fishing on the White River. What do you get the person who has everything? OR, what do you gift for a milestone birthday when you are continuously over “things” and consumerism and nothing feels right? May I suggest an experience - and I think this one will appeal to anglers (Nick) and non-anglers (me) alike!

I really, reallyyyy, wish I could take credit for coming up with this idea but Nick has been into this for years and did all of the leg work on planning so when I asked what he wanted to do for his 40th birthday he said “trout fishing on the White River” without hesitation. I knew nothing about this prior so if you are like me and wondering where to start I’m sharing where we stayed, ate and fished!

You might be thinking I have no interest in trout fishing, pass, but I’m here to tell you don’t write it off so soon. Obviously, I went along for the ride for Nick but we both had the BEST time (and so did Potter)! You do not need to have any prior experience, equipment, or even a baseline knowledge to enjoy this experience. If you get a guide, which I highly recommend, they will bring everything and teach you as you go. But let me back up and start from the beginning.

Flippin is about 4.5 hours away from our house in KC. You pass right through Branson on the way and since our second anniversary was the weekend after we decided to go a night early and have dinner Osage at Big Cedar. If you’ve never been, I can’t recommend enough. In Johnny Morris we trust and he can do no wrong in my eyes. His properties are stunning, his attention to detail is beyond, and the views alone are worth it.

We woke up Friday, grabbed a coffee, took a walk and headed out to the lodge. Like I said, Nick did all of the research and landed on the White River Trout Club to stay. We LOVED it and would definitely go back! We had a little one room cabin right on the water and it was small enough and not busy it was really quiet and peaceful. Plus, everyone we met who worked there was young and fun and around our age. They also arrange the guide for you and have a dock onsite which was nice. I will say, I had no idea the trout/fly fishing industry was so big and there are tons of hotels, lodges and Airbnb’s so you really don’t have to worry about finding a place to stay. Everything from big resorts with restaurants and a vintage summer camp feel (Gaston’s & Stetson’s) to individual houses right on the water. Our cabin also had a small kitchenette with a stove/oven and fridge so you could definitely cook, although we didn’t since we wanted to explore. There is a Harp’s grocery store in town and if you plan ahead with the club you can also arrange a chef if you have a large enough group. We DEFINITELY want to go back with our friends and family to take advantage of that option and this clubhouse! The first night we ate at the bowling alley (yes, the bowling alley lol), Bull Shoals Lanes & The Fish Sports Bar, which came recommend by the club and then we headed to Cracker’s, a small general store, that was having live music per a sign they had outside. I lovedddddd the small town feel of everything and how casual it was. Nostalgic.

Saturday was our fishing day and we arranged a guide when we booked our stay through the club. You definitely want to do this. The club handles all of the arrangements but the guides all have their own boats and all of the gear. The guide will call you the night before and tell you what time he’s picking you up based on the water conditions and what they’ve been seeing for the best fishing. All of the guides do this full-time and many of them are transplants or have been guides in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, etc. and you can tell this is their passion. I think you can do a 4, 6 or 8 hour day. We did the 6 and I think it was the perfect amount of time although I probably could have done 4 too. Nick could have done 8 :). Nick has been fly fishing many times so he used an actual fly rod where I used a spinning rod since I was new to this. The guide will also teach you how to use the pole, all about the lures, and coach you through it. We went to Harp’s the night before and also brought snacks and water and you can bring a cooler or the guide will have one. About the river - not to nerd out but I found this all so interesting. You can basically do this trip all year because the river is controlled by the dam so the water temp stays between 45-55 at all times (cold!) and they control the water levels too. You also want the guide because they will know how to navigate the water release. And another reason why this would be the perfect gift, anytime of year or for any occasion. We each ended up catching a brown trout! Along with some rainbows but no elusive brook trout, I guess we will just have to go back. We did catch & release all day but I think you can keep 5 each (?) if you wanted. We had dinner Saturday night at Gaston’s (views below!) and I saw that they will also cook your fish for you if you give them enough notice if you are into this option. You also will need a fishing permit, which I think was $50 each for non-residents. We saw so much wildlife on the river too - 2 bald eagles, 3 baby foxes playing, an otter, and lots of herons. Overall, I think this is such a fun and unique gift idea or getaway, especially when our nature and outdoor opportunities feel limited in the Midwest. We want to make it an annual trip!