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Bull Shoals Lake is one of the reservoirs LakeRadar tracks in Arkansas. It covers roughly 45,440 surface acres (about 71 square miles). Research-grade observations nearby include Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, and Smallmouth Bass. Nearby alternatives include Bull Shoals Lake and Table Rock Lake. The page brings together an hourly and 7-day forecast, wind and gust outlook, fishing conditions, and activity scores for boating, paddling, and swimming. Check the hourly forecast and activity outlook below before heading out to Bull Shoals Lake.
Updated
No active alerts for this lake as of the last check (Oct 9, 5:39 AM CDT). Alerts are re-checked automatically; see the official source for updates.
Overall Good (89/100) across 4 activities. Best right now: Boating (100/100).
How the score is calculated →Best excellent fishing window, averaging 91/100 across these hours. Wind 0 mph from the east. Dusk hours (19:00 local). Derived from the hourly forecast; official alerts are not forecast and are checked separately.
| Metric | 10a | 11a | 12p | 1p | 2p | 3p | 4p | 5p | 6p | 7p | 8p | 9p | 10p | 11p | 12a | 1a | 2a | 3a | 4a | 5a | 6a | 7a | 8a | 9a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 61° | 60° | 59° | 63° | 68° | 72° | 77° | 81° | 86° | 87° | 88° | 89° | 87° | 84° | 79° | 73° | 70° | 68° | 66° | 64° | 63° | 62° | 61° | 60° |
| Wind (kts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Direction | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | SE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gusts (kts) | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Time | Temp | Wind | Gusts | Precip | Cloud | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, 5 AM CDT | 61°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 6 AM CDT | 60°F | Calm | 1 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 7 AM CDT | 59°F | Calm | 0 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 8 AM CDT | 63°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 9 AM CDT | 68°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 10 AM CDT | 72°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 2% | Sunny |
| Fri, 11 AM CDT | 77°F | Calm | 7 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 12 PM CDT | 81°F | Calm | 8 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 1 PM CDT | 86°F | 5 mph SE (135°) | 8 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 2 PM CDT | 87°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 9 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 3 PM CDT | 88°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 9 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 4 PM CDT | 89°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 10 mph | 0% | 3% | Sunny |
| Fri, 5 PM CDT | 87°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 9 mph | 0% | 1% | Sunny |
| Fri, 6 PM CDT | 84°F | 5 mph ESE (113°) | 9 mph | 0% | 3% | Clear |
| Fri, 7 PM CDT | 79°F | Calm | 9 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 8 PM CDT | 73°F | Calm | 7 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 9 PM CDT | 70°F | Calm | 6 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 10 PM CDT | 68°F | Calm | 5 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Fri, 11 PM CDT | 66°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 12 AM CDT | 64°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 1 AM CDT | 63°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 1% | Clear |
| Sat, 2 AM CDT | 62°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 5% | Clear |
| Sat, 3 AM CDT | 61°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 39% | Partly Cloudy |
| Sat, 4 AM CDT | 60°F | Calm | 4 mph | 0% | 54% | Mostly Cloudy |
| Sat, 5 AM CDT | 59°F | Calm | 2 mph | 0% | 63% | Mostly Cloudy |
Official National Weather Service hourly forecast. Showing 10 of 25 hours. Wind arrows point the way the wind is blowing; the compass point and degrees show where it comes from.
| Period | Overnight October 9, 2026 | Friday October 9, 2026 | Friday Night October 9, 2026 | Saturday October 10, 2026 | Saturday Night October 10, 2026 | Sunday October 11, 2026 | Sunday Night October 11, 2026 | Columbus Day October 12, 2026 | Monday Night October 12, 2026 | Tuesday October 13, 2026 | Tuesday Night October 13, 2026 | Wednesday October 14, 2026 | Wednesday Night October 14, 2026 | Thursday October 15, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°F) | 59° | 90° | 58° | 82° | 55° | 89° | 61° | 91° | 65° | 92° | 67° | 87° | 65° | 84° |
| Wind | 0 mph | SE 0 to 5 mph | ESE 0 to 5 mph | E 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph | W 0 to 5 mph | 0 mph | SSW 0 to 10 mph | SSW 0 to 5 mph | SW 0 to 5 mph | SSW 0 to 5 mph | S 0 to 10 mph | S 5 mph | SSW 5 to 10 mph |
| Gusts | 1 mph | 10 mph | 9 mph | 10 mph | 10 mph | 12 mph | 8 mph | 20 mph | 13 mph | 13 mph | 10 mph | 17 mph | 16 mph | 16 mph |
| Precip % | 0% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 7% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 6% | 13% | 43% | 43% | 48% |
| Forecast |
No active USGS or USACE telemetry gauge is currently mapped to Bull Shoals Lake. Not available from a verified source for this lake.
Nearby river temperature: 57.4°F at White River at Bull Shoals Dam near Flippin (0.5 mi away) · Oct 9, 10:00 AM UTC
Good for fishing (87/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the east. 0% chance of precipitation. Not available from a verified source for this lake: pressure trend, water temperature. Confidence is moderate (74%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Excellent for boating (100/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the east. Gusts to 1 mph. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility and conditions, verified water access. Confidence is moderate (84%) because some inputs are unavailable or older than ideal.
Fair for sailing (64/100), from 4 available inputs. Supporting this: Gusts are within 1 mph of sustained wind, so the breeze is steady. No active official alerts for this lake. Working against it: Wind 0 mph is light; expect limited sailing. Not available from a verified source for this lake: visibility. Confidence is high (88%).
Excellent for kayaking (99/100), from 5 available inputs. Supporting this: Wind 0 mph from the east. Gusts to 1 mph. Confidence is high (90%).
Water temperature is not available from a verified source for this lake. No swimming score is shown without it.
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Individual boat ramp GPS coordinates are maintained under the jurisdiction of AR Parks & Wildlife Authority. Public boaters should verify seasonal launch water levels, gate hours, and daily vehicle/vessel fees before traveling.
Bull Shoals Lake is a well-known freshwater reservoir in AR, providing refreshing open water and abundant outdoor recreation. Anglers value its seasonal bite while recreational boaters enjoy expansive open water corridors. Checking active weather advisories and water temperatures ensures a rewarding visit.
Valid freshwater sport fishing license issued by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is required for anglers age 16+. Digital license on mobile is accepted.
Current motorized watercraft registration mandatory. Practice Clean, Drain & Dry protocols: drain all livewells and inspect props before launching. Life jackets required for all passengers.
Public shoreline and boating access managed by State & Local Authorities. Verify seasonal gate hours, launch fees, and parking rules before travel.
High-speed motorboating, pontoon cruising, wakeboarding, and water skiing across main channels. Target gamefish include Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Smallmouth Bass. Morning hours typically provide optimal glassy conditions for kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) touring.
Warm water temperatures, peak swimming, active watersports, and open full-service campgrounds. Highest weekly attendance; plan early arrivals on summer weekends.
Spring pre-spawn and fall feeding transitions create prime trophy angling conditions. Cooler air, lower boat traffic, and vibrant seasonal shoreline foliage.
Mild year-round outdoor climate. Uncrowded waters, active winter bass and crappie fishing, and open year-round boat launch access.
No external source rows are cited by the data currently shown on this page.
Updated
Scores are heuristics, not safety guarantees. LakeRadar scores summarize available conditions and are not a substitute for official warnings, local rules, or on-water judgment.
All telemetry for Bull Shoals Lake is synchronized directly from authorized federal and state monitoring networks (USGS, NWS, NOAA, and state environmental authorities). Observations are strictly instrumented readings — unmonitored sensors are transparently disclosed rather than synthetic estimates.
Last source audit: Oct 9, 5:39 AM CDT