Bull Shoals Tailwater - Wildcat Shoals Access
UTM 15 538276E 4018493N (NAD83/WGS84)
(Eleven miles below Bull Shoals Dam on Baxter County or east side)
Wildcat Shoals access is above the shoals by a quarter of a mile or more. At low water anglers can walk downstream and wade fish the shoals. The good wade fishing is complicated by the fact that water can come up fast here and trap wade anglers who venture out to fish the far side of the runs. It is a dangerous area, so be very careful. Water can rise in as little as 2.75 hours from when generation starts at the dam. Wade anglers should carry their cell phone [put it in a zip-lock bag] with them and call the current status number periodically to make sure they know the status of generation as well as keep a watchful eye on river levels.
A float from Wildcat Shoals to Cotter goes through some quality water. Boaters however will have to carefully navigate the shoals at low water. Canoes and kayaks will have little trouble [stay to the left], and drift boaters can walk their boats through the more shallow parts of the shoals. Most of the johnboat guides don't attempt to float the entire shoals at deadlow flows. Once you make it through Wildcat Shoals, the rest of the float is fairly easy. When minimum flow is established, floaters will be able to navigate the shoals more easily.