The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 10 August, the lake level is approx 2.6 inches above normal conservation pool and steady. There is decreased current in Little River with the gates releasing 173 CFS as of Monday. Water temps rose 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 87ºF early to 94ºF range, depending on location. Bass are excellent around 2-4 pounds on topwaters early, and excellent on crankbaits and worms later in the day. Crappie have yet to return to normal activity from the increase of current and muddy water in Little River over the past couple weeks.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.42 ft-msl, with low river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 173 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high flooding. Tailwater level as of Monday was 238.44 and reduced flow below the dam for tightliners and bowfishermen.

Clarity and visibility continues improving & good on main lake and oxbows, out of current. Little River clarity has improved considerably since last week. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-18 inches. Little River above McGuire oxbow remains stained but improving. Oxbows continue improving clarity also, and are beginning to markedly settle out. Clarity in the oxbows currently running anywhere from 12-24 inches, however, clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

The Details:

Largemouth & Kentucky (Spotted) Bass: Bass activity continues to improve over the past couple weeks, and Bass are excellent from 2 to 5 pounds on topwaters early and late. Most bass are the most aggressive at dawn around shallow vegetation at dawn. Later in the morning and heat of the afternoons, crankbaits, squarebills, and bulky 10" worms continue working very good around cover and cypress trees in 5-10 feet depths. Spots are ganged up at creek mouths that dump into Little River. Spots are aggressive on worms, lizards and tubes with best colors being pumpkinseed/chartreuse, appleseed, or green pumpkin.

Buzz baits continue working early, as are solid body frogs, and 5" to 7" Bass Assassin Shads. Working top water plugs, frogs, and the Bass Assassins around loose remaining 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 away from Little River current.

Best colors of Bass Assassin Shads over the past couple weeks continue to be the Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom, Mississippi Hippie, or Gold Pepper Shiner, working these in an erratic manner around vegetation. Rat-L- Traps and Echo 1.75 Squarebill crankbaits are working around deeper drops into the creek channels from 5-8 feet. Tennessee Shad or Citrus Shad colors of Bomber deeper diving crankbaits continue working for Largemouths, Kentucky Bass, and White Bass in the river. Yum or Berkley 10" worms are working in the oxbows on stumps and timber in peanut butter 'n jelly, blue fleck, or cherryseed.

Best colors Rat-L-Traps and Echo 1.75 Squarebill crankbaits over the past week have been Toledo Gold, Chrome/blue, or White for the Rat-L-Traps; and Ghost Minnow, Gold, or Millwood Magic for the Echo 1.75 Squarebills, away from any river current around cypress trees and stumps in the oxbows. Back in the oxbows as far from any remaining 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 Echo Squarebill crankbaits.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught on red/white Rooster Tails, chartreuse/white Little Cleos, shad colored Rocket Shads, and Tennessee Shad or Citrus Shad colored crankbaits in the back of the oxbows.

Crappie: No report.

Cats: Blues, Channel Cats are very good this week in Little River on Charlie, chicken livers or hearts and gizzards, and homemade cheese dough-balls on trot lines running 10-16 feet deep.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, 10 Aug are ranging 87ºF early to 94ºF range, depending on location. Navigation is near normal for Millwood and Little River, however, caution during navigation is urged to watch for floaters and debris from all the recent 23 feet increase in lake level elevation during the flood of 2015. USACE continues working to clean debris left from the high water in the parks, and replacing any missing river buoy markers.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 2.6 inches above normal pool at 259.42 ft-msl, and steady with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 173 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, was 238.44ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility is for most areas on main lake and Little River has much improved over the past week. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-18 inches. Little River is still stained but improving daily. The oxbow's clarity continues to settle out after all the recent flooding and high water also improving daily approx 12-24 inches. 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........