I was hoping someone with firsthand knowledge would respond to this, but all I can offer is that I once talked to a guy who went to Batesville and said that he got into some good smallie fishing. Don't know if he was above that dam there or not, I really don't know that much about that section of the White, as there is lots of good smallmouth habitat between NWA and there, and don't have a boat for that kind of river.
I've also been curious about the confluence of the Little Red and White rivers.
You'll sometimes hear or see folks catching good smallies in the Beaver tailwaters, down around Houseman to 62 bridge, on occasion. I figure there has got to be a zone in there that bass can do well in, and feed on those stocker rainbows, esp when the weather warms up.
I've fished some of the oxbows off the lower White, down around Clarendon. darn-good fishing if you catch it right, but its been a long long time since I've been down there. My dad once caught a walleye in the main river down there 20+ years ago.