The Overall Picture:

Weather is really nice, and its a awesome great time of year to be out on the lake with kids. Almost anyone with minimal skill sets can catch bass this time of year. Grab your kids and take them fishing. Pass it on. Pay it forward. Whatever it takes to get the kiddos out there, you need to do. This is the time of year that kids get hooked on fishing for an entire lifetime!!!!!!!

As of Monday, 06 Oct, the lake level is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 1,082 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were dropping over the past week. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River, as of Monday. The drawdown has ended and normal conservation pool is being observed. Several river buoy markers are missing in Little River, use caution during navigation at low light conditions.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 72ºF early to 77ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.43 ft-msl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was near 1082 CFS. Tailwater level as of Monday is 225.13. Clarity and visibility is slightly diminished since last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River due to recent thunderstorms and high winds.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake improving, but stained. Little River's visibility ranges 5-8 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 15-20 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 are very good from around 2 up to 5 pounds; best on Crankbaits, and Rat-L-Traps. Good numbers of big Largemouth Bass have been caught and released over the past 2-4 weeks in the 5-8 pound class. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and spinnerbaits have been drawing good strikes and reaction bites over the past couple weeks.

Working spoons with a grub curly tail trailer or Bass Assassin Shads around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels continue drawing good reactions from mid morning til noon. Johnson spoons are still taking some good fish in the pads close to deep water creek channels around pondweed and hydrilla. Bass Assassin Shads in Salt N Pepper Silver Phantom, or Gold Pepper continue working very well around vegetation lines and pads.
Bomber and XCalibur crankbaits in Tennessee Shad, Foxy Phantom, or Threadfin Shad colors seem to be best reaction colors over the past week by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Rat-L-Traps in Tennessee Shad, White Bone Nova, or White Zombie are working in creeks and and on points.

White Bass: continue roaming the oxbows, and continue to school up. The Whites continue hitting the Tennessee Shad or citrus shad colored crankbaits in Little River, and 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. 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. Anglers can expect to catch 50+ of these hard charging fighters in a short time frame, upriver. It is a great time of year to get kids out into these schools of hard fighting bass.
Crappie: continue to improve around planted brush piles, approx 12-13 feet depth in Little River behind current breaks and points where brush piles are located and were best vertical jigging chartreuse/white Blakemore Roadrunners, or smoke colored Cordell paddle tail grubs on light wire jig heads. With the reduction of current in Little River the Crappie should continue to stack in planted brush piles this week.

Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in Little River on trot lines, approx 9-12 feet deep, set in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Yo-Yo's were yielding some nice cats in Mud Lake last 2 weeks using minnows and/or cut bait hung from cypress trees. Best trotline baits are cut shad, and chicken gizzards or hearts this week..
}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{


Surface temps as of Monday, 06 Oct are ranging 72ºF early to 77ºF range, depending on location.

As of Monday, 06 Oct, Millwood Lake drawdown is complete. The lake level is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool and stable. There is reduced current in Little River with the gates releasing around 1082 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River, as of Monday.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.43 mfsl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was around 1082 CFS. Tailwater level as of Monday is 225.13 ft- msl.

Clarity and visibility is slightly worsened over last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River due to recent thunderstorms and high wind. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake improving, but stained. Little River's visibility ranges 5-8 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 15-20 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, boat safely, be courteous, wear your life jacket & we'll see you on the lake........

MS
Mike Siefert
Owner/Operator
www.MillwoodGuideService.com
P.O.Box 4957
Texarkana, AR/TX/USA 75505-4957
Shop: 870-772-6840

"Your fun we take seriously, so you don't have to!"
"Some Photos courtesy, Jason Sealock"
Thanks for your interest in
Millwood Lake Guide Service ~ Arkansas' Best Bass Fishing!

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