• Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    Millwood Lake Guide Service
    (870) 772-6840 http://www.millwoodguideservice.com/index.html MillwoodLakeGSvc@aol.com
  • Millwood Lake Guide Service has been featured numerous times on the popular TV show Fishing Country with Charlie Pack. We guide for Largemouth bass, White bass, Kentucky bass, and Crappie. Since 1990, Millwood Lake Guide Service has supported and worked with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and The US Army Corps of Engineers regularly, Catch and Release Foundation, Black Bass Federation and Restoration Projects

  • Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    The Overall Picture:

    As of Monday, 18 Aug, the USACE has begun 15" drawdown on Millwood to conduct shoreline work at Cottonshed Park and also to plant winter duck vegetation. The lake level is approx 10 inches BELOW normal conservation pool and falling. There is increase current of Little River with the gates releasing around 3,200 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River, as of Monday, extreme caution urged with the debris, limbs, logs and broken vegetation in the river with the fast current, in addition to the drawdown lake level will expose stumps and submerged hazards below the surface not typically found or seen near surface. The drawdown will last approximately 3-5 weeks.

    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 82ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location. Bass remain good from 3-6 pounds on topwaters, spinnerbaits, and frogs early, away from muddy current in Little River. Crappie have disappeared with the increase of current and muddy water in Little River. Channel Cats and Blues are good in the river's current on trot lines.

    Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 258.42 mfsl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 3,217 CFS. Continue to use extreme caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from high discharge and current as well as submerged objects nearing the surface during the drawdown. Tailwater level as of Monday is 231.89.

    Clarity and visibility is slightly improved over last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 5-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current and Cossatot River is contributing lots of muddy inflow. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

    The Details:

    Largemouth Bass: Bass are good from 2 to 7 pounds on topwaters early and late as far away from the current and Little River as you can get. Most bass are agressive at dawn around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation at dawn, if you can find the clearest water away from current in backs of the creeks and oxbows.

    Spit'n Images, Spooks, plastic frogs, Ken Pops, and Bass Assassins remain a good top water choice, early and late. Working top waters around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels continue drawing good reactions at dawn. Good bites continue on the soft plastic frogs this week around pads in clearest water you can find away from heavy current and discharge of Little River. Johnson chrome spoons with curly tail grub trailers are taking some good fish in the lily pads.

    Bass Assassin Shads in Baby Bass, Chartreuse Diamond, and Native Shiner are working around any semi-clear water and vegetation. Rat-L-Traps and cranks continue working along vegetation growth and weed lines near deep water drops. Chartreuse Shad or Citrus Shad Bomber crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors over the past week by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes and Berkley Craw Fattys in black neon, blue disco, or California 420 colors are working flipping and pitching in the heavy vegetation away from river current this week.

    Upriver, in the oxbows as far from river current and in any remaining clearer water, around 8-9 feet flats with stumps and laydowns, Real Deal Custom Tackle Jigs are taking a few nice keeper size bass from 3-4 pounds. Best locations are near creek channel swings with stumps or cypress trees, and best colors to get a response over the past couple weeks have been the Texas Craw, Watermelon Candy-Red, and PB&J.

    White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming the oxbows, and continue hitting the Tenneessee Shad or citrus shad colored crankbaits in the back of the oxbows. Several days over the past 3-4 weeks, the Whites were surface breaking on shad in back of Horseshoe and McGuire oxbows, but have not been seen surface breaking this week with the increase in stained water moving to the oxbows. Those fish were hitting small, Smokey Joe Pop-R's & Chug Bugs with a rear feather tail hook or Little Cleos and Rooster Tails in red/white or chartreuse/white, and Rat-L-Traps.

    Crappie: No report. Disappeared with all the muddy water in Little River last week.

    Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in the increased current of Little River on trot lines this week, approx 9-14 feet deep, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits last 2 weeks continue to be chicken livers, cut shad, and buffalo.

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

    Surface temps as of Monday, 18 Aug are ranging 82ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location.

    As of Monday, 18 Aug, the USACE has begun 15" drawdown on Millwood to conduct shoreline work at Cottonshed Park and also to plant winter duck vegetation. The lake level is approx 10 inches BELOW normal conservation pool and falling. There is increase current of Little River with the gates releasing around 3,200 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River, as of Monday, extreme caution urged with the debris, limbs, logs and broken vegetation in the river with the fast current, in addition to the drawdown lake level will expose stumps and submerged hazards below the surface not typically found or seen near surface. The drawdown will last approximately 3-5 weeks.

    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 82ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location.

    Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 258.42 mfsl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 3,217 CFS. Continue to use extreme caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from high discharge and current as well as submerged objects nearing the surface during the drawdown. Tailwater level as of Monday is 231.89.

    Clarity and visibility is slightly improved over last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 5-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current and Cossatot River is contributing lots of muddy inflow. 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, wear your life jacket & we'll see you on the lake........


    Come see what all the excitement's about! Southwest Arkansas' best bassin' getaway! Watch our videos on Youtube and FaceBook by searching keywords: Millwood Lake Guide Service!!


    24+ years in the professional guide business on Millwood Lake, since 1990 and over 2.5 million Florida Bass stocked by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission! Let us help YOU, GET OUT THERE!
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