The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 30 March, lake level remains 7 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is reduced current of Little River with the gates releasing around 9,270 CFS Monday. Water temps rose over the past week. Navigation is considered cautious for Little River, as of Monday. Several river buoy markers are missing in Little River with current.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 58ºF early to 68ºF range, depending on location, wind, and sun.

Lake level is currently is 259.76 ft-msl, with heavy increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate near 9,300 CFS as of Monday. Tailwater level 235.54 and falling. Clarity and visibility is improved, most areas of the lake are heavy stain. Saline River and Cottonshed areas still muddy inflows.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-8 inches. Entire lake is heavy stain to muddy from Yarborough Landing to Cottonshed, Okay, and east to Saratoga. Little River's visibility ranges 3-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarities still stained in places, continues to improve, ranging approx 10-18 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 again over the past week with increased day time high temps. Bass are staging and spawing area beds are being seen, 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 water conditions.

Bass are at their most aggressive during the warmest time of the day, typically 11am-3pm, a slow moving target crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, 5" Bass Assassin Shads chatterbaits, and plastic lizards. 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 and in creek channels and ditches. 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 continue to move shallow in the heat of the day.

Clearest water you can find, seems to be their preferred hang out in protected coves and pockets along the main lake. 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 War Eagle Spinnerbaits 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 Chrome, and 'Lectric Red on full sun days; Red Zombie or Red Shad colors over flats and in creek channels on cloudy days. 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 3-9 feet of depth with stumps and cypress knees in the deeper water, moving erratically and deflecting off timber and stumps with a brief pause at the deflection point.

5" Bass Assassin Shads in Salt-n-Pepper Silver Phantom in clearer water, and Chartreuse Diamond or Chartreuse Pepper Shad in stained water are catching 3-6 pound Largemouths, male and female moving in and out of the spawning areas using a light wire Rig-N Hook. Eager Beavers are beginning to draw reactions in shallow bedding areas in watermelon/red and watermelon candy colors. We are dipping the claws in JJ Magic chartreuse dye in the stained water clarity.

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 fair numbers and sizes of Whites over the past couple weeks.

Crappie: continue improving close to cypress trees on hair jigs, tiny tubes, and shiners from 4-9 feet deep.

Cats: continue to improve their bite, on trot lines in 12-15 feet of depth with cut shad, cut buffalo, blood baits, chicken livers and gizzards, in the outer bends of Little River and in creek mouths.
}><(((º> Lake Level & River Conditions Report <º)))><{


Surface temps as of Monday, 30 Mar currently range 58ºF to 68ºF later in the day under full sun.

As of Monday, 30 Mar, Millwood elevation is approx 7 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is reduced current in Little River with the gates releasing around 9300 CFS . Water temps stable over the past week. Navigation in Little River considered cautious. There are a few river buoys missing in Little River.

Lake level dropped and currently is 259.76 mfsl. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 9,300 CFS. Tailwater level at 235.5 ft-msl as of Monday and dropping below the spillway.

Clarity and visibility in most areas on main lake and Little River is stained to muddy based on location and river inflow. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-8 inches. Little River and Yarborough Landing all the way to Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake are moderate stain to muddy at Saline, from all river's inflow. Little River's visibility ranges 3-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity has began to improve, away from current, ranging approx 10-18 inches depth of visibility as of Monday, depending on location. 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