• Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    Millwood Lake Guide Service
    (870) 772-6840 http://www.millwoodguideservice.com/index.html MillwoodLakeGSvc@aol.com
  • Millwood Lake Guide Service has been featured numerous times on the popular TV show Fishing Country with Charlie Pack. We guide for Largemouth bass, White bass, Kentucky bass, and Crappie. Since 1990, Millwood Lake Guide Service has supported and worked with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and The US Army Corps of Engineers regularly, Catch and Release Foundation, Black Bass Federation and Restoration Projects

  • Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    The Overall Picture:

    As of Monday, 14 September, the lake level is normal conservation pool and steady. There is only light current in Little River with the gates releasing 171 CFS as of Monday. Water temps 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 85ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location. Bass remain excellent around 2-3 pounds on topwaters early, and really good on crankbaits and worms during the hotter times of day. Crappie are continuing to improve.

    Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.18 ft-msl, with low river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 171 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high water. Tailwater level as of Monday was 226.82 ft-msl.

    Clarity and visibility continues improving & good on main lake and oxbows, out of current. Little River clarity continues to improve considerably over the past few weeks. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 15-25 inches. Little River above McGuire remains stained but improving. Oxbows continue improving clarity also, and are beginning to markedly settle out and clarity in the oxbows currently running anywhere from 20-40 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 has been excellent the past few weeks, and Bass remain very from 2 up to 4 pounds on topwaters early and late. Most bass are the most aggressive at dawn around shallow vegetation at dawn on frogs, Bass Assassin Shads, buzz baits, Cordell Crazy Shads, and shallow jerk baits. Later in the heat of the afternoons, Largemouth bass are best on crankbaits, squarebills, and bulky 10" worms continue working very good around cover and cypress trees in 5-10 feet depths. Spotted Bass continue to congregate at creek mouths that dump into Little River. Spots are aggressive on smaller lizards and tubes with best colors over the past couple weeks being pumpkinseed/chartreuse, appleseed, or green pumpkin/blue. Zoom trick worms, wacky rigged in watermelon-red flake, are working as well around isolated stumps, cypress trees and vegetation.

    Smithwick Rouges, straight tail, 5-6" worms like the Yum dingers, trick worms, and Salty Rat Tails continue taking nice bass this week, as are solid body frogs, and 5" to 7" Bass Assassin Shads for the Largemouths. Crazy Shads, and Bass Assassin Shads worked around wood cover in close proximity to vegetation are drawing good early morning top water explosions. Good bites continue on the soft plastic frogs this week around any remaining pads and cypress trees. Crankbaits are working later in the day for Largemouths, Whites, and Spotted Bass in creek mouths dumping into Little River.

    War Eagle spinnerbaits in Coleslaw, Spot Remover, and white/chartreuse are taking a few random fish hold up deep in vegetation and grass patches. Bouncing the spinnerbaits thru grass & cover, then ripping it free near the edge with a slight pause and fall action, seems to be best presentation into deeper water nearby.

    Best colors of Bass Assassin Shads over the past few weeks drawing best reactions are the Mississippi Hippie, Roadkill, and Salt & Pepper Silver Phantom. Working these erratically around vegetation and under cypress trees seems to be best presentation over the past couple weeks. Rat-L- Traps and Echo 1.75 Squarebill crankbaits are working around deeper drops into the creek channels from 5-8 feet. Yum or Berkley 10" worms continue working in the oxbows on stumps, cypress trees, and timber in junebug/red, plum, blue fleck, and cherryseed colors. Swimming Bang Die Dappers on a light weight swimbait hook in Gray Ghost, or Trickster colors, Tx rigged are working around cypress trees and steep drops into creek channels.

    Best colors Rat-L-Traps and Echo 1.75 Squarebill crankbaits over the past week have been Transparent for the Rat-L-Traps in clear water of the oxbows, and Fathead Minnow or Oxbow for the stained sections of the creek mouths dumping into Little River; and Ghost Minnow, Gold, or Millwood Magic seem to draw best reactions in 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 4-6 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, however, they continue working in creek mouths dumping into Little River where schools of Largemouths, Whites, and Kentucky Bass are chasing shad.

    White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and are schooled up in creek mouths dumping into Littler River. Whites continue being caught on red/white Rooster Tails, chartreuse/white Little Cleos, shad colored Rocket Shads, and Shad colored crankbaits in creek dumps and mouths of sloughs connecting with Little River chasing shad along with the Largemouths.

    Crappie: bite improved on planted brush over the past week now that the clarity is getting better, and current reduced in Little River. Cordell smoke, paddle tail grubs on light wire jig head and Blakemore Roadrunners in white/chartreuse were working this week in 9-12 feet of water over planted brush piles.

    Cats: Blues, Channel Cats continue biting well this week in Little River on yo-yo's, and trot lines on chicken livers, hot dogs, & stink bait; running the trot lines running 8-14 feet deep, and using live shiners on the yo-yo's under cypress trees in back of the oxbows, in 8-19 feet of depth under the tree limbs.

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

    Surface temps as of Monday, 14 Sept are ranging 85ºF early to 90ºF 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. 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 at normal pool at 259.18 ft-msl, and steady with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate around 171 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, was 226.82 ft-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 15-25 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 25-40 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........
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