The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 07 Mar, the lake level is slowly rising from recent rains, and is approx 12 inches above normal conservation pool. Increased current in Little River w/gate discharge around 5,989 CFS as of Monday. Water temps slightly rose, over the past week. Navigation has improved, considered normal this week. Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 55ºF early to 62ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day. Several boat ramps and parks campgrounds have re-opened from recent high water flooding. Some have not yet reopened and the Millwood State Park remains closed for repairs. The USACE are working to replace numerous river buoys missing along Little River since the recent 12-15 foot rise a few weeks ago. Navigation is considered cautious.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 260.18 ft-msl, and rising with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 ft-msl. As of Monday the tailwater level was also rising, at 238.34 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility worsened slightly over the past week, in most areas on main lake from past few weeks w/ the increase of river current and rising water levels. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-8 inches. Little River's visibility is heavy stain to muddy depending on location and ranges from 4-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity ranging approx 10-15 inches depth of visibility 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 Millwood Project information line at 888-697-9830 or the US Army Corps of Engineers' main number to verify another Corp of Engineers project is open, at 877-444-6777. Call the Millwood State Park at 870-898-2800.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: The Bass continue to respond favorably to the improved weather temperatures, over the past week with the warmer days, and improving conditions. Recently, warming conditions have improved bass activity, and numerous nice bass have been caught in the 4-6 lb class, with several between 6-8 lbs each, over the past few weeks. Big, pre-spawn girls full of roe are on the move. Best activity period continues to be during the warmest time of the day under full sun in 3-5 feet of water with good clarity. Best reactions over the past week continue to be on chatterbaits, swimbaits, jigs, cranks, and lizards.

During the warmest period of the day, typically 10am-3pm, chatterbaits continue working in black/blue, or Tx Craw, or Avocado colors with large thumping swimbait trailers, and Real Deal Custom Tackle jig in Texas Craw, Okeechobee Spice, or Black/blue or Black/purple colors continue working on sunny flats next to cypress trees and stumps close to creek channel swings. Echo 1.75 Squarebills in Chartreuse shiner, Gold, or sexy chrome will get a few random bites during the warmer days in flats close to deep water creek channel swings as well. Clearer water, again this week, seems to be their preferred hang out, furthest from Little River current. Over the past couple weeks, the jigs, lizards, and magnum tubes with rattles, have really began taking some nice big fat prespawn female bass heavy with eggs ranging from 4-8 pounds. Males have been noted/seen building beds, and a few females have been seen cruising bedding areas with males alongside.

Blackberry, pumpkinseed, or black/blue tail colored lizards continue working and catching prespawn females and roaming males, over the past several weeks near flats in the creek channels on stumps. Red and Orange Shad or Toledo Gold Rat-L-Traps continue working on warm days in creek channels deflecting off stumps and timber and near spawning flats around cypress trees/knees. Big, over-sized, magnum gizzits and tubes in black/blue, or black/red, with rattles are taking good fish in creek channels up to 5 and 6 lbs each.

Bass Assassin Shads in Houdini, or Panhandle Moon and Bad To The Bone colors are catching good bass on a light wire hook, by dead-sticking. Bang Die Dappers on a swim jig head or swim bait belly hook head continue to work using Trickster, Houdini, Pumpkinseed/Chart belly colors. Working the swim baits in same areas on flats near cypress and in pockets of vegetation along edges of vegetation grass lines and dead lily pad stems approx 5-9 feet deep will pick up random, cruising, solitary bass in the 3-4 pound class.

Bang Fat Jobs are working, wacky rigged in the same areas as the Die Dappers, in Houdini and Watermelon/green/red glitter colors. Use a light wire hook as small as you can get away with for best action!

White Bass: Schools of Whites continue biting well between White Cliffs and 71 Bridge at Wilton. Backwater sloughs feeding Little River, just out of the main river current, were holding some good schools of whites over the past several weeks. These Bass were hitting Echo 1.75 squarebill crankbaits, Rat-L-Trap Tail Spinners, Little Georges, Little Cleos, and medium running cranks from 4-9 feet depths. These White Bass have appeared to start their annual migration routes up Little River for the spawn.

Crappie: recently improved their bite on jigs in 7-8 feet of water.

Cats: Cats continue biting consistently over the past week in Little River on trot lines and yo-yos using cut shad and Charlie and homemade blood bait, set 9-14 feet deep.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 55ºF early to 62ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day. Navigation is considered cautious with increased current this week. USACE is working to replace missing river buoys along Little River.

Lake level currently is 260.18 ft-msl, with increased river current, which is approx 12 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 ft-msl. Gate discharge rate around 5,989 CFS. The tailwater level is 238.34 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility has worsened, more especially the oxbows. Main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-8 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 4-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 inches depth of visibility 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 or the Millwood State Park campground at 870-898-2800.

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, hope to see you on the lake,