The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 27 April, lake level rose to 34 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is increased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 13,680 CFS Monday. Water temps rose over the past week. Navigation is considered hazardous 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 68ºF early to 75ºF range, depending on location, wind, and sun.

Lake level is currently is 262.05 ft-msl, with heavy increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate near 13,680 CFS as of Monday. Tailwater level 239.01 and rising. Clarity and visibility is mostly stained, most areas of the lake. Up Little River oxbows still fair clarity. Saline River and Cottonshed areas still muddy inflows.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Entire lake is stained, but Cottonshed, Okay, and east to Saratoga from Saline River inflow remains muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 2-4 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarities still stained in places, yet better than most of river and main lake, 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: for the most part, Bass activity levels improved again over the past week with increased day time high temps. Bass are finishing most spawing activities in most locations, most of big Bass have already finished and are post-spawn over the past couple weeks.

Majority of Bass remain moving from spawning flats to creek channels and ditches, and a variety of lures are working randomly. Swim baits, chatterbaits, Rat-L-Traps, 5" Bass Assassin Shads, frogs, and lizards continue working over the past few weeks. Over the past week, bass energy levels continued to improved, and were good on a variety of lures, preferred locations seem to be the clearest water clarity you can locate. Black and blue Chatterbaits still remain good this week, a white swimming jig, magnum size lizards in black, blue, or purple, and slow moving Rat-L-Traps continue taking bass that are running in and out of spawning areas and in creek channels and ditches. Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs in Texas Craw, Voodoo, and Purple Smoke Candy are taking 3-4 pound Largemouths, in 3-8 feet of depth adjacent to flats where spawning activities are finishing.

South Hickory Creek and pockets near the golf course were good locations to target Largemouths over the past couple weeks, down to Millwood State Park. Squarebill crankbaits, chatterbaits, and 10 bulky worms have been working around isolated cover, stumps and vegetation, and were all good choices in 3-10 feet of water in contact with wood and cover.

4" Texas rigged Magnum Tubes w/rattles were also getting bit in the golf course pockets next to stumps, cypress trees, and scattered new lily pad growth over the past 2 weeks. Best colors are black/blue or pumpkinseed with chartreuse tails.

Buzz baits are beginning to work in Mud Lake and Horseshoe around new lily pad growth. Best colors over the past week were bleeding bream, watermelon-red flake, and firecracker.

5" Bass Assassin Shads in Salt-n-Pepper Silver Phantom in clearer water, and Gold Pepper Shiner in stained water continue catching 3-5 pound Largemouths, moving in and out of the spawning areas using a light wire Rig-N Hook. Swimming a 5" Bang Die Dapper in Houdini or Grey Ghost, or a 6" Turbo Shad in Black Shad or Crystal Shad on a swim bait hook continue taking nice Largemouths around shallow bedding areas for the past couple weeks. Jingle Bugs in Watermelon Candy, black/blue tail, or pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail are working around wood and stumps and standing timber in bedding areas

Warrior Baits Buzz Frogs working on Largemouths ranging from 2-4 pounds in 1-2 feet of water around wood, new lily pad growth, and grass patches. Rig your frogs with a 3/0 or 4/0 wide body Rig-n-hook or double upturned frog hook, and throw into the heaviest cover available. Grass, new lily pad growth, and tall standing reeds are best areas to get a frog bite. Hesitation remains the key, until you feel the bass pull bait and line from you before setting the hook, to ensure good catch and hook-up ratios.

White Bass: no report this week.

Crappie: continue moving into spawning areas around cypress knees and trees for their spawning cycles, and were faily consistent over the past week in 2-4 feet depth on live shiners and Southern Pro Hustler tubes in white/blue combinations in back of some of the oxbows away from current and in clearest water you can find.

Cats: are biting good in recent days w/ increased current of Little River, on trot lines using chicken hearts, livers, or gizzards and cut shad and buffalo over the past week with trot lines set between 9-12 feet of depth.

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


Surface temps as of Monday, 27 Apr currently range 68ºF to 75ºF later in the day under full sun.

As of Monday, Millwood elevation is approx 34.2 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is increased current in Little River with the gates releasing around 13,683 CFS on Monday. Water temps improved over the past week. Navigation in Little River considered hazardous with the increased current. There are a few river buoys missing in Little River.

Lake level rose and currently is 262.05 mfsl. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 13,683 CFS. Tailwater level at 239.01 ft-msl as of Monday below the spillway.

Clarity and visibility in most areas on main lake and Little River stained mostly lake wide, however, east side near Saline inflow to Okay and Cottonshed, is muddy from river inflow. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 2-4 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity has began to improve, away from current, ranging approx 10-20 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