The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 07 July, the lake level is approx 3.2 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. There is increased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 867 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation continues improving for Little River, as of Monday, but caution still urged with the debris, limbs, logs and broken vegetation in the river.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 77ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.47 mfsl, with increased river current, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 867 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high wind.

Clarity and visibility is improved compared to last week, most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains stained. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

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: Bass are good between to 2 and 4 pounds on topwaters early and late. Most bass are agressive at dawn around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation at dawn.

Buzz baits continue working early and Cordell Crazy Shads, Baby Torpedoes, and Arborghast Jitterbugs are good, early and late. Working top waters around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels are drawing good reactions at dawn. Best colors of Crazy Shad are chrome/black back and Torpedoes are Leopard Frog. Good bites continue on the soft plastic frogs this week around pads in clearest water you can find.

Bass Assassin Shads in salt & pepper or gold pepper shiner colors continue working around vegetation, and Rat-L- Traps and cranks are working around deeper drops into the creek channels. Tennessee Shad or Citrus Shad Bomber crankbaits are getting bit over the past week by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes in pumpkinseed, black/blue tail, or Ozark Craw colors were working last week.

Best colors Rat-L-Traps working over the past week were Red Shad, Rootbeer, or Silver Tenneessee Shad away from any river current. Back in the oxbows as far from river current and in the clearing water, around 4-8 feet depth flats near creek channel swings, deflecting off stumps in the clearest water you can locate seem to produce best over the past couple weeks with the Traps and crankbaits, however, Bream colored XCalibur crankbaits in the river were producing Largemouth bites late last week. Spoons were taking some Kentucky Bass and small Largemouths along primary and secondary points and cuts in Little River this week.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught on jigging spoons behind primary points in the river, just out of the current, where the Kentucky and small Largemouths were stacked up. Whites were also hitting the Tenneessee Shad crankbaits in the back of the oxbows, and several days last week the Whites were surface breaking on shad in Mud, and McGuire. These fish were hitting small, Smokey Joe Pop-R's and Chug Bugs with a rear feather tail hook.

Crappie: Crappie returned to a more normal pattern this week, and were biting jigs and minnows from 8-13 feet deep in planted brush piles.

Cats: Blues and channel cats improved to good in the reduced current in Little River over the past week on trot lines set slightly deeper this week, approx 12-15 feet, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits were cut shad, chicken livers, and blood bait.

}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{

Surface temps as of Monday, 07 July are ranging 77ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 3 inches above normal pool at 259.47 mfsl, and falling with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 867 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 225.52 mfsl. Navigation has dramatically improved, yet use caution for floaters.

Clarity and visibility is improved compared to last week, most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains stained. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

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, see you on the lake........ and BE CAREFUL out there!