The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 20 July, the lake level is approx 2 feet above normal conservation pool and falling. There is increase current of Little River with the gates releasing around 19,598 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation has returned to normal for Little River, as of Monday, but caution still urged with the debris, limbs, logs and broken vegetation mats floating in the river.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 80ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on location. Bass are good from 2-4 pounds on topwaters early. Crappie have disappeared with the increase of current and muddy water in Little River. Channel Cats and Blues are good in the river's current on trot lines.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 261.16 ft-msl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 19,598 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high level. Tailwater level as of Monday was unavailable.

Clarity and visibility is fair to good on main lake out of current. Little River has considerable stain with the level of discharge and current in the river. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 2-5 inches depending on location and current. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current and Cossatot River is contributing lots of muddy inflow. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Bass are good between from 2 to 4 pounds on topwaters early and late. Most bass are agressive at dawn around shallow vegetation at dawn.

Buzz baits continue working early, along with gold Ken Pops, solid body frogs, and Arborghast Jitterbugs remain a good bet, early and late. Working top waters around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels continue drawing good reactions at dawn. Good bites continue on the soft plastic frogs this week around any remaining pads after the recent flood, in clearest water you can find.

Bass Assassin Shads in gizzard shad, baby bass, and chartreuse pepper shiner colors continue working around vegetation. Rat-L- Traps and cranks are working around deeper drops into the creek channels. Tennessee Shad or Citrus Shad Bomber crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors over the past week by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes in black/blue tail, pumpkinseed, or smoke/red/black flake colors are working.

Best colors Rat-L-Traps working over the past week have been Toledo Gold, Chrome, or White; away from any river current. Back in the oxbows as far from river current and in the clearing water, around 2-4 feet depth flats near creek channel swings, deflecting off stumps in the clearest water you can locate seem to produce best over the past couple weeks with the Traps and crankbaits.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids are roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught hitting the Tennessee Shad or citrus shad colored crankbaits in the back of the oxbows. Several days over the past week, the Whites were surface breaking on shad in Horseshoe, and McGuire.

Crappie: Crappie have disappeared with the incoming muddy water and high current in Little River over the past week.

Cats: no report.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, 20 July are ranging 80ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on location. Navigation was re-opened to boat traffic late last week (Friday) by the USACE and Little River County. Caution during navigation is urged to watch for floaters and hidden debris just under the surface from all the recent 23 feet increase in lake level elevation during the flood of 2015. USACE is working diligently replacing all missing river buoy markers.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 2 feet above normal pool at 261.16 ft-msl, and falling with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 19,598 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 229.28 mfsl. Navigation cautious, but normal for Millwood, use caution for floaters with broken limbs, vegetation mats, and logs with the increased current of Little River.

Clarity and visibility is for most areas on main lake and Little River normal Millwood stain. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake is muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 2-5 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently is stain, but beginning to settle out after all the recent flooding and high water. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of current and Cossatot inflow is contributing lots of muddy current. 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, wear your life jacket & we'll see you on the lake........