The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 23 March, the lake level remains 16 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is heavy current of Little River with the gates releasing around 18,000 CFS Monday. Extreme caution urged for boaters during navigation, with limbs, logs, and entire trees coming downriver in heavy debris fields. Water temps rose over the past week. Navigation is considered extremely hazardous for Little River, as of Monday. Several river buoy markers are missing in Little River with extreme heavy current.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 54ºF early to 62ºF range, depending on location, wind, and sun.

Lake level is currently is 260.58 ft-msl, with heavy increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate near 18,000 CFS as of Monday. Tailwater level 245.34 rising rapidly. Clarity and visibility is diminished and muddy most lake wide and Little River and Saline River inflows.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 1-5 inches. Entire lake is heavy stain to muddy from Yarborough Landing to Cottonshed, Okay, and east to Saratoga, all sectors of the lake is muddy from current from all incoming rivers. Little River's visibility ranges 1-3 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarities still stained in places, beginnin improvement, ranging approx 3-7 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 improved over the past week with increased day time high temps. Bass are staging and beginning to move toward spawing areas, some already in spawn mode, over the past week with improved surface temperatures, as males have been noted building beds in shallow flats, just are hard to locate with the stained to muddy water conditions.

Bass are at their most aggressive during the warmest time of the day, typically noon-3pm, a slow moving target crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, chatterbaits, and a few soft plastics. Over the past week, bass energy levels continued to improved, and were good on a variety of lures presented slow and methodical. Chatterbaits, jigs, and slow moving shallow crankbaits were taking a few males running in and out of spawning areas. 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 creek channels and adjacent flats next to stumps, from 1-5 feet of depth. The heavy stain makes it difficult seeing the bedding fish, but females are beginning to move shallow in the heat of the day.

Clearest water you can find, seems to be their preferred hang out, which is now hard to locate. Crankbaits moved erratic; stop and go, were the best bets to draw reactions and get bit, but most active during the warmest period of the high sun over the past week.

Chatterbaits in black/blue, and white/chartreuse are beginning to catch 2-5 pound Largemouths, 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. .

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 Red Shad, Red Chrome, 'Lectric Red, McCraw, and Red Zombie colors over flats and in creek channels adjacent to flats under bright sun on warmest period of the day. Moving the Traps slow and deflecting off stumps in creek channels adjacent to large warming flats, bright sun days seemed to be the best pattern. Best bite was in 2-6 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.

White Bass: Whites were located upriver again above highway 71 bridge between Cossatot inflow ditch and Patterson Shoals. Crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps in White and chrome were taking a few good size Whites over the past week.

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

Cats: were back on the bite again using trot lines in 9-12 feet of depth with chicken hearts, gizzards, and blood bait in the outer bends of Little River and in creek mouths between 8-10 feet deep.
}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{


Surface temps as of Monday, 23 Mar currently range 54ºF to 62ºF later in the day under full sun.

As of Monday, 23 Mar, Millwood elevation is approx 16 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is heavy current in Little River with the gates releasing around 18,000 CFS with huge debris fields of logs, limbs, trees, and other damaging debris. Boaters need to use extreme caution during low light or other navigation. Water temps stable over the past week with the freezing rain, sleet and snow. Navigation is considered extremely hazardous for Little River. There are a few river buoys missing in Little River.

Lake level dropped slightly and currently is 260.58 mfsl. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 18,000 CFS. Tailwater level at 245.3 ft-msl as of Monday and lots of discharge and current below the spillway.

Clarity and visibility in most areas on main lake and Little River from recent thunderstorms, incoming high, muddy water and inflow. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 1-3 inches. Little River and Yarborough Landing all the way to Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake are muddy and heavy stain from all river's inflow. Little River's visibility ranges 1-3 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity has began to improve, away from current, ranging approx 3-7 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River muddy in current from above highway 71 to Yarborough. 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........