The Overall Picture:
As of Monday, 18 Nov, the lake level is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 3900 CFS as of Monday. The Largemouth Bass have continued schooling in several locations over the past month. Little River and the oxbows over the past week began staining again over the past several days from thunderstorms and high winds. Surface water temps dropped again over the past week.
Largemouth Bass continue in a fall transition phase, and the topwater bite which has been very good over the past 5-6 weeks with schooling activities and random surface feeding.
Surface temps as of Monday, 18 Nov are ranging 62ºF early to 70ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.
Lake level as of Monday 18 Nov is currently is 259.43 mfsl, and falling with decreased river current, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 3904 CFS . The tailwater level as of Monday was 230.91 mfsl.
Clarity and visibility improved from muddy to fair in most areas on main lake over the past few days. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity also improved over the weekend with the reduction of current in Little River, ranging approx 20-30 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.
The USACE recently completed addition of the 5 new campsites to White Cliffs campground. Currently, the new pavement in the park and the electrical work is completed. The new campsite areas opened for overnight camping with electrical hookups recently.
The Arkansas State Park, Millwood Lake State Park campground, and both of its (2) boat ramps are open.
To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Tony Porter at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office. To receive project updates, daily lake level information updates, gate release flows, tailwater information, park and campground information, or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free Millwood Project information line at 888-697-9830 or the US Army Corps of Engineers' main number to verify another Corp of Engineers project is open, at 877-444-6777.
The Details:
Largemouth Bass: The top water action has been very good to excellent over the past 8-12 weeks, with surface breaking in various locations by bass in the 2-3 pound range. The schooling continues randomly as the bass are feeding during most all daylight hours on large pods of threadfin and gizzard shad in lily pads, hydrilla, and creek junctions with the river . Johnson Chrome spoons (on sunny days) and gold spoons (on cloudy days) with white or smoke grub trailers continue working in the lily pads. Bass Assassin Shads and soft plastic frogs continue getting good reactions from Largemouths around vegetation. Tail spinners such as Little Cleos, Little Georges, rooster tails, and Rocket Shads all are catching good limits of all species of Bass. Best colors of tail spinner hard baits like the Little Georges seem to be white, chartreuse, gray/smoke colors, or a combination of those. Best colors of the Rooster Tails seem to be white/red/chrome combinations.
Crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps continue to be the number one bait for good daily limits of Bass for weeks. Largemouths, Hybrids, Spots, and Whites are continuing to stage, and are feeding on the large schools of shad located on points near stumps and vegetation. A lot of the lily pad stands are beginning to die back with the cooler night time temperatures. Green/live lily pad stands continue producing good fish explosions on top water baits like Jitterbugs, Ken Pops, and Bass Assassins.
For the past several weeks, the best reaction baits are Bass Assassin Shads, Bomber crankbaits, jigging spoons, and Rat-L-Traps around points with stumps and vegetation. Bass Assassin Shads in Smoke Pepper Shad and Salt N Pepper continue working well for 2-3 lb class Bass close to remaining live lily pads. During random surface feeding, clear Baby Torpedoes, Dying Flutters, Ken Pops, Cordell Crazy Shads, or Pop R's will load the boat in a hurry. Heddon Moss Bosses in the pads are also working, while Crazy Crawlers and Jitterbugs continue to take some chunky bass along the creek channel swings near live pad edges over grass patches.
War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Firetiger color in stained or muddy water remain the best color working around pads, hydrilla, pond weed, and vegetation in creek channels. Aurora or Spot Remover seems to be better in clear water. Best color for Rat-L-Traps over the past week have been tail spinners in chrome/blue back, Diamond Shad. The Liv-N-Chrome, or White Zombie colors around 4-8 feet depth creek channel swings near vegetation and stumps are working well. 10" Yum plastic worms are working randomly, Watermelon Red in the clearer water; Junebug or Black in stained water around cypress trees and stumps in the 8-9' ditches and creek channels.
When surface feeding and breaking subsides, Bomber and XCalibur squarebill crankbaits in Pearl White, Black Shad, and Foxy Phantom or Firetiger continue working on the schools of Largemouths & Kentucky Bass. Bomber Flat A's in Pearl Shad, Firetiger, or Black/Chartreuse will also pull up the Bass from the huge schools roaming Little River in search of threadfin and gizzard shad.
White Bass: Whites and hybrids continue roaming Little River and being caught on points along side the Largemouths using Bomber & XCalibur crankbaits in Threadfin Shad colors close to grass and pads adjacent to creek channels. Whites also continue hitting Rat-L-Traps in Chrome Black Zombie, or Spin-Traps in Chrome blue-back colors on points and creek mouth junctions. Rooster tails and Little Georges, chrome blue jiggin spoons are also catching Whites.
Crappie: Crappie are continuing to move shallow following shad and baitfish into the creek channels. Live shiners, hair jigs, and Blakemore Roadrunners continue working by vertical jigging in and around planted brush piles from 8-10 feet of depth and jigs in black/chartreuse, or smoke gray colors as well as Cordell smoke colored paddle tail grubs on light wire jig heads, and Blakemore Roadrunners in white & chartreuse seem to be best colors.
Cats: Blues were good this week from the fewer Catfishermen out. Trot lines set between 12-18 feet of depth in the outer river bends are working using chicken gizzards, hearts, and cut shad.
}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{
Surface temps as of Monday, 18 Nov are ranging 62ºF early to 70ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.
Lake level as of Monday 18 Nov is currently is 259.43 mfsl, and rising with increased river current, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was 3904 CFS Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 230.91 mfsl.
Clarity and visibility improved over the past few days. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity began to clear over the weekend with the reduced current of Little River, ranging approx 20-30 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.
The USACE recently completed addition of the 5 new campsites to White Cliffs campground. Currently, the new pavement in the park and the electrical work is completed. The new campsite areas opened for overnight camping with electrical hookups recently.
The Arkansas State Park, Millwood Lake State Park campground, and both of its (2) boat ramps are open.
To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Tony Porter at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office. To receive project updates, daily lake level information updates, gate release flows, tailwater information, park and campground information, or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830 or the US Army Corps of Engineers' main number to verify another Corps of Engrs project is open, at 877-444-6777.
Wear your Life Jacket and kill switch!! If you are suddenly or unexpectedly thrown from your boat, it could be your only chance of survival. Use caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, SLOW DOWN, and pass friendly to other boaters! As always, careful watch for any random floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD and kill switch is a requirement!
Visit with us on our website, YouTube, and on Facebook, for the most current Millwood Lake fishing and water conditions report, updated weekly. See some great catch and release photos, sponsor links, tons of great information and resources on the lake available to you, along with excellent related direct links to Arkansas' State Parks, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Black Bass Program, The US Army Corps of Engineers, Arkansas.com and tons more great fishing stuff....
'Til next week, hope to see you on the lake,
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