• 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, 02 Sep, Millwood Lake remains in drawdown conditions. The USACE are conducting shoreline work at Cottonshed Park, inspection of the dam, and also the AGFC are planting winter duck millet. The lake level is approx 10 inches BELOW normal conservation pool and falling. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 961 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River, as of Monday, due to the drawdown conditions, lake level is beginnin to expose stumps and submerged hazards below the surface not typically found or seen near surface. The drawdown will last approximately through 7 September.

    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 82ºF early to 88ºF range, depending on location. Largemouth Bass remain good from 2-4 pounds on topwaters, spinnerbaits, and frogs early, away from muddy current in Little River. Crappie are starting to stack back up in brush. Blues and channel cats are good.

    Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 258.35 mfsl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 961 CFS. Continue to use extreme caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from current as well as submerged objects nearing the surface during the drawdown. Tailwater level as of Monday is 224.32.

    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 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake improving, but stained. Little River's visibility ranges 10-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 20-30 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is heavy stain and Cossatot River is contributing lots of incoming flow. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

    The Details:

    Largemouth Bass: Millwood Lake is making a strong comeback from the recent 3-4 year slump of slow fishing and poor quality bass at tournament weigh-ins. Bass are good from 2 up to 8 pounds on spinnerbaits, cranks, topwaters early and late. Most bass remain the most agressive at dawn and dusk around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation at dawn, in the clearest water away from current, in backs of the creeks and oxbows. An eleven pound bass was caught and released week before and numerous others have been caught this week in the 5-8 pound class. Frogs, Bass Assassin Shads, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits remain the go-to baits over the past couple weeks with all the bass chasing shad, 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 spoons and Heddon Moss Bosses continue taking some good fish in the pads close to deep water creek channels around pondweed and hydrilla.

    Bass Assassin Shads in Salt-NPepper Phantom, Native Shiner, and Gold Pepper Shiner, are working around stained and clear water in vegetation lines and pads. Rat-L-Traps and cranks continue working along edges of vegetation and weed lines near deep water drop offs in the creek channels. Chartreuse Shad and Citrus Shad Bomber crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors over the past couple weeks by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Berkley Pit Boss, in green pumpkin or California 420 colors, continue working by flipping and pitching around cypress trees 6-9 feet of depth and vegetation this week.

    Upriver, in the oxbows near flats with stumps and laydowns, Real Deal Custom Tackle Jigs are taking a few nice keeper size bass from 3-4 pounds. 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. They were found again this week schooling and surface breaking in the Little River around Hwy 71 bridge and also at White Cliffs Campgrounds. These surface breaking fish were hitting Rat-L-Traps, Ken Pops, Pop-Rs, Chuggers, and Little Cleos and Rooster Tails in red/white or chartreuse/white Rocket Shads.

    Crappie: Improved around planted brush piles over the past week, 12-16 feet depth in Little River behind current breaks and points where brush piles are located. Best bets were vertical jigging Southern Pro Tubes in red/white, chartreuse/white, or smoke colored Cordell paddle tail grubs on light wire jig heads.

    Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in Little River on trot lines, approx 8-12 feet deep, set in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits last 2 weeks continue to be cut shad, Charlie, or buffalo and blood baits.



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

    Surface temps as of Monday, 25 Aug are ranging 84ºF early to 89ºF range, depending on location.

    As of Monday, 02 Sep, Millwood Lake remains in drawdown conditions. The USACE are conducting shoreline work at Cottonshed Park, inspection of the dam, and also the AGFC are planting winter duck millet. The lake level is approx 10 inches BELOW normal conservation pool and falling. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 961 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River, as of Monday, due to the drawdown conditions, lake level is beginnin to expose stumps and submerged hazards below the surface not typically found or seen near surface. The drawdown will last approximately through 7 September.

    Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 258.35 mfsl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 961 CFS. Continue to use extreme caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from current as well as submerged objects nearing the surface during the drawdown. Tailwater level as of Monday is 224.32.

    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 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake improving, but stained. Little River's visibility ranges 10-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 20-30 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is heavy stain and Cossatot River is contributing lots of incoming flow. 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........
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