The Overall Picture:

As of Monday 22 July, the lake level is approx 4 inches above normal conservation pool and stable. There is decrease in current of Little River. The Largemouth Bass and Crappie bites, continue an improving trend over the past couple weeks. Little River and the oxbows over the past week have begun clearing. Surface water temps crept upward again over the past week.

Largemouth Bass are full blown summer routines, the topwater bite continues to improve, there was a recent Mayfly hatch, and Bream have just finished annual spawning activities.



Surface temps as of Monday 22 July are ranging 79ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday 22 July is currently is 259.57 mfsl, and steady with decreased current, which is approx 4 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 1,132 CFS . The tailwater level as of Monday was up, at 226.62 mfsl.

Clarity and visibility continued improving over the past week with the decrease in current of Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-12 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity improved with the decreased current of Little River, ranging approx 3-4 feet depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.


The USACE upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is complete and River Run East park at the spillway is now open.


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.

The Details:


Largemouth Bass: The top water action continues to be good from dawn to around 10am in shady areas underneath cypress trees, in lily pads, and out of the direct sunlight. Majority of Bass continue their surface feeding activity aggressively at dawn until mid morning or the sun begins heating surface from overnight lower temps. Recent Mayfly hatch on Millwood has bream, and bass both looking to surface feeding.

The best reaction baits at dawn lately continue to be Bass Assassin Shads, Buzz baits, Arborgast Jitterbugs, Heddon Spit'n Images, Dying Flutters, and soft plastic frogs. Buzz baits in black, Avocado, or bleeding bluegill colors continue to get strikes by Largemouths at dawn. Jitterbugs in cricket frog or leopard frog continue to be good, along with wacky rigged Yum Dingers in watermelon-red and Bass Assassin Shads in salt - n - pepper or gold pepper shiner. Salty Rat Tails in purple smoke or watermelon-red colors are still good rigged wacky style too. War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Firetiger or Spot Remover are continuing to work along hydrilla, pond weed, and coontail moss or most any vegetation lines. Largemouths continue hitting Rat-L-Traps in Wild Shiner or gold/black back colors, around 2-3 foot flats with stumps/grass/pads nearby. 10" Power Worms in Black Grape, plum, or blue fleck continue working near cypress trees and stumps.

Jumbo Gizit tubes are still working around cypress trees in the oxbows from 5-9' depths. Best reactions we have had lately on the tubes are on purple smoke, pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, or black/blue tail with rattles inside.

Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs continue working for nice chunky Largemouths. Best colors are Cinnamon-raisin, Bruised Melon, or Okeechobee Spice colors. Use a black and blue or pumpkinseed craw trailer. Work the jigs on base of cypress trees, knees, and stumps in 8-10 foot depths, around patches of sawgrass, and where alligator weed is in close proximity to cypress trees.


White Bass: Whites continue being caught on main and secondary points of Little River using Bomber & XCalibur crankbaits in sexy shad or Tenneessee Shad colors, and in grass beds on Firetiger colored spinner baits. Whites also continue biting Rat-L-Traps in Chrome / black or chrome/blue back and Millwood Magic. .



Crappie: Crappie have slowed over the past couple weeks. Live shiners, Southern Pro Lit'l Hustler or Umbrella tubes were working by vertical jigging in and around planted brush piles from 8-14 feet of depth. Jigs in chartreuse, black/chartreuse, or Blakemore Roadrunners in black/chartreuse seemed to be best colors.


Cats: Hi Fin Blues and Channel Cats and are fair on trot lines or yo-yo's with cut shad, cut drum, and carp, chicken hearts, or livers, along the Little River and creek mouths dumping into the river, and remain best from around 10-12 feet deep with the current in Little River over the past week. Yo-yo's hung from cypress tree limbs in the oxbows up Little River are working from 8-14 feet depths using live shiners, hot dogs, cut bait, and Charlie dough balls.


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


Surface temps as of Monday 22 July are ranging 79ºF early to 87ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day. There is increased in current of Little River. Little River and the oxbows over the past week have begun clearing. Surface water temps crept upward again over the past week.

Lake level as of Monday 22 July July is currently is 259.57 mfsl, and steady with increased current, which is approx 4 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 1,132 CFS . The tailwater level as of Monday was 226.62 mfsl.

Clarity and visibility continued improving over the past week with the decrease in current of Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-12 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity improved with the decreased current of Little River, ranging approx 3-4 feet depth of visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

The USACE upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is now completed. USACE has now opened River Run East facility on the east side of the spillway below the dam. All other USACE parks around Millwood Lake project are operating normally with a few specific campsites being worked on and some minor dead tree & debris removal.

To volunteer for one of the clean-up dates, to receive ramp or campground and park project updates, daily lake level information and project release flow updates, or tailwater information, call Tony Porter at the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

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 and on Facebook, for the most current Millwood Lake fishing 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....

Until next time, see you on the water,