• 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

    Ed note: Good numbers of large, prespawn, Largemouth Bass have been caught and released over the past 2-3 weeks ranging in size from 8 lbs up to 12 lbs. This looks to be another year for big Bass on Millwood Lake!

    The Overall Picture:

    As of Monday, 2 Mar, the lake level is approx 8 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is steady current of Little River with the gates releasing around 7000 CFS. Use caution during navigation. Water temps stable over the past week. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River, as of Monday. Several river buoy markers are missing in Little River, do use caution during navigation at low light conditions.

    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 40ºF early to 45ºF range, depending on location.

    Lake level is currently is 259.9 ft-msl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate near 7000 CFS as of Friday. Tailwater level 223.09. Clarity and visibility is improved, yet stain remains in most sections of main lake and Little River. Still heavy muddy current above Hwy 71 bridge at Cossatot inflow ditch and at Cottonshed and Okay Landing to Saratoga.

    As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-8 inches. Cottonshed, Okay, and east section of the lake is muddy from current in Saline River. Little River's visibility ranges 5-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarities are improving, yet remain stained, ranging approx 10-20 inches depth of visibility more or less, depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, thunderstorms, or increased current.

    The Details:

    Largemouth Bass: the Bass activity levels continue to be fair to good on warmer, bright sunny days. Lethargic is the activity levels seen over the past week with continued freezing temperatures during the night and cold and wet incoming rainfall keeping surface temperatures lower than normal for this time of year.

    Bass continue remaining at their most aggressive during the warmest time of the day, typically noon-3pm, hitting slowly moving target crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, and a few soft plastics. Numbers of good fish have been caught and released up to 12 pounds over the past 2-3 weeks on swim baits, chatterbaits, jigs, and crankbaits. Best color of Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs over the past few weeks has been the black and blue, Tx Craw, or VooDoo. This was working in ditches and creek channels on stumps, and points extending into the river from 9-14 feet of depth. Two six pounders and an 8 pound Largemouth were caught last weekend in south Hickory and the Millwood State Park.

    Bomber Fat Free Shad cranks in Dance's Crawfish, Firetiger, or a "Flat A" in Apple Red Craw will get a reaction bite during the warmer period of the day, worked slowly and deflecting off stumps and cover. Clear water seemed to be their preferred hang out, if you can locate any. Crankbaits moved erratic; stop and go, seem to draw reactions and get bit, but most active during the warmest period of the high sun over the past few weeks.

    Chatterbaits in Texas Craw, black/blue, and Ozark Craw are beginning to get reactions on warm days in stained water around cypress trees, dead lily pad stems, and grass. No matter which color skirt used on the chatterbait, a black trailer seems to stand out better and draw more reactions. Several 8 and 9 pound Bass have been caught on this combination at Millwood over the past few weeks.

    Big 3/4 oz, slow-moving Rat-L-Traps continue working over the past couple weeks also, with the best colors over the past few weeks being pumpkinseed, 'Lectric Red, McCraw, and Red Zombie and colors. Moving the Traps slow and deflecting off stumps in creek channels adjacent to large warming flats, much like the lipped crankbaits on warmer, bright sun days seemed to be the best pattern. Best bite was in 8-12 feet of depth with stumps and cypress knees in the deeper water, moving slowly and deflecting off timber and stumps with a brief pause at the deflection point.

    Swimming a large, 6" black shad colored Bass Assassin Turbo Shad on a 1/8 or 3/8 oz weighted swim bait hook are taking some staging prespawn male and female bass anywhere from 3-5 lbs in 9-12 feet of water. 5" Bass Assassin Shads, deadsticking on a light wire hook in 5-8 feet of depth will get bit on warmer days. Best colors we have had success with over the past week were the Chartreuse Pepper Shad in muddy or stained water, Rainbow Trout in the stain to clear water areas, or Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom in the clear water areas seem to ilicit the best responses.

    Magnum size 4" Warrior Baits Teaser tubes with rattles will get a reaction on cypress knees in 9-12 feet depth in backs of the oxbows where you can find any clearer water sections. Black/blue tail, Bluegrass craw, and pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail colors continue to be best color choices over the past several weeks.

    White Bass: Whites were located upriver btween McGuire and Cemetary slough, trolling crankbaits before all the cold freezing rain, sleet and snow, but dissapeared over the past week. These White bass maybe getting ready to position themselves upriver for their annual spawing ground run up to Patterson Shoals.

    Crappie: no report since all the muddy current inflow over the past couple weeks in increase in discharge at the dam.

    Cats: continue biting chicken hearts, livers, and gizzards along with cut shad and blood bait, on trot lines in current bends btwn 9-10 feet of depth.

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


    Surface temps as of Monday, 2 Mar currently range 40ºF to 45ºF later in the day under full sun.

    As of Monday, 2 Mar, Millwood Lake level is approx 8 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is consistent current in Little River with the gates releasing around 7000 CFS with a few broken vegetation mats and reduced debris fields Use caution during low light or other navigation. Water temps dropped a little over the past week with the freezing rain, sleet and snow. Navigation is considered normal caution for Little River. There are a few river buoys missing in Little River.

    Lake level is currently is 259.9 mfsl, with steady river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 7000 CFS. Tailwater level currently 223.09 ft-msl as of Monday and lots of discharge and current for fishing below the spillway.

    Clarity and visibility is about the same over the past 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 5-8 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake are still heavy stain from Saline River inflow. Little River's visibility ranges 5-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity continue improving away from current, ranging approx 10-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy. 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, kill switch, & we'll see you on the lake........

    MS
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