The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 13 June, the lake level is approx 3.25 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is decreased current of Little River with the gates releasing around 4,100 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Lake level has risen and dropped again dramatically with all the thunderstorms over the past week. Navigation is improving for Little River, as of Monday, but caution still urged with the debris, limbs, logs and broken vegetation in the river with current.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 74ºF early to 82ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.47 ft-msl, with current, which is approx 3 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 4,085 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high wind and thunderstorms.

Clarity and visibility is improved compared to last week, most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains heavy stained to muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 8-12 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is heavy stain with swift water. 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. Call the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission for an officer, biologist, or to report AGFC regulation violation at 800-482-9262.

The Details:

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

Buzz baits, Cordell Crazy Shads, Baby Torpedoes, various frogs, and Arborghast Jitterbugs are best bets, early and late. Buzz baits in ghost, black, or Texas craw colors are working around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels. Finding clearer water areas away from current in Little River are best bites. Best colors of Crazy Shad are chrome/black back and Torpedoes are Leopard Frog. Good bites continue on soft plastic frogs this week around pads in any clear water you can find.

The further from Little River current will produce best activity and aggressive bites. Bass Assassin Shads in salt & pepper or crystal shad colors continue working around vegetation, and Rat-L-Traps are working around deeper drops into the creek channels. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes in pumpkinseed, black/blue tail, or Appleseed colors were working last week.

Lots of top water action continue this week away from current of Little River, and topwater Zara Spooks, Jitterbugs, and Moss Bosses around pads and vegetation, early at dawn continue working at daylight.

10" bulky worms are working after the topwater bite subsides. Best colors have been black, black grape, june bug, or peanut butter 'N jelly.

Bass Assassin Shads are working around lily pads, and hydrilla under shade of cypress tree overhangs and trees along the channel swings. Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom, Houdini, and Grey Ghost are drawing good reactions from 2-5 pound Largemouth Bass. Bang Die Dappers are also working in these same areas on a swim bait hook worked slow and erratic over and through the pads and grass.

Best colors Rat-L-Traps over the past week or so have been red shad, chrome/green, and Millwood Magic. Echo 1.75 squarebills in gold, Millwood Magic, and stumpknocker colors; and deep diving crankbaits in Tenn Shad or Citruse colors continue working over the past week away from any remaining current, far from river current and in the clearing water, around 4-8 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.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught on jigging spoons behind primary points in the river, just out of the current.

Crappie: High current in Little River still has the Crappie pushed deep and back into the creek channels dumping into the river. No consistent pattern this week.

Cats: Blues and channel cats continue biting good in the current in Little River over the past week on trot lines set slightly deeper this week, approx 12-15 feet, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits have been buffalo, chicken gizzards and hearts.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, 13 June are ranging 74ºF early to 82ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 3.25 inches above normal pool at 259.47 ft-msl, and falling with river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 4,085 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, with the recent rains is 238.81 ft-msl. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from all the recent high wind and thunderstorms.

Clarity and visibility is improved compared to last week, most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-10 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains heavy stained to muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 8-12 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is muddy with lots of 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, see you on the lake........ and BE CAREFUL out there!