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, 27 Oct, the lake level is approx 3.5 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 782 CFS as of Monday. Water temps continued dropping over the past week. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River, as of Monday. 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 67ºF early to 73ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.49 ft-msl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was near 782 CFS. Tailwater level as of Monday is 224.94. Clarity and visibility is slightly improved since last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River from recent thunderstorms and high winds.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake, muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 3-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity is stained away from current, ranging approx 12-15 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy. Back of McGuire oxbow is farily good clarity at around 15-25". Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass and Whites alike, from all the recent thunderstorms and muddy inflow, remain fair, and slow to recover from recent pool fluctuations and muddy water. Very good from around 2 up to 5 pounds, were best on Crankbaits, Bass Assassin Shads, and Rat-L-Traps. Good numbers of 14-18" Largemouth Bass have been caught and released over the past few weeks in the 2-5 pound class. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and Bass Assassin Shads have been drawing good strikes and reaction bites over the past couple weeks, prior to the muddy recent rise over 18" late last week.

Working Bass Assassin Shads around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels were drawing good reactions from mid morning til noon. Johnson spoons were 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, or Native Shiner were working very well around vegetation lines and pads. Clarity has begun settling out, and clarity should return to normal by later this week. We expect the agressive return bite of crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps and Shad Assassins will return with the improved clarity and reduction of pool to normal levels this week.

Best crankbaits are the Bomber and XCalibur cranks in Tenn Shad, Citrus Shad, or Foxy Phantom, seemingly preferred colors of the Largemouths and White Bass alike with normal pool and clarity. Rat-L-Traps, Spin Traps, or Pro-Traps in Tenn Shad, White Bone Nova, or White Zombie were taking great numbers of Largemouths and White Bass also in creek channels, ditches, and points in Little River prior to the muddy rise.

White Bass: disappeared with the recent 18" muddy rise late last week, and are still recovering improvement in water clarity and reduction of lake level to normal pool again. Up Little River find the shad schools, and you will find the Whites. The Whites were hitting the Tennessee Shad or citrus or threadfin shad colored crankbaits in Little River, and the back of the oxbows prior to the muddy rise and increase in current of Little River. 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, Johnson and Kastmaster spoons, Little Cleos and Rooster Tails in red/white or chartreuse/white Rocket Shads. Anglers can expect to catch good numbers of these hard charging fighters in a short time frame, upriver.

Crappie: disappeared with all the recent muddy inflow and increase in Little River, and are still recovering this week also.

Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in Little River on trot lines, approx 9-11 feet deep, set in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits are cut shad or buffalo, homemade blood bait, chicken livers.
}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{


Surface temps as of Monday, 27 Oct are ranging 67ºF early to 73ºF range, depending on location.

As of Monday, 27 Oct, Millwood Lake level is approx 3.5 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is increased current in Little River with the gates releasing around 8630 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were dropping over the past week. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River, as of Monday. There are a few river buoys missing in Little River

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.49 mfsl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was around 782 CFS. Tailwater level as of Monday is 224.94 ft- msl.

Clarity and visibility is slightly improved over last week, in most areas on main lake and Little River from recent thunderstorms and high wind. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake are muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 3-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 12-15 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy. Back of McGuire oxbow up Little River has good clarity around 15-25" 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