The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 27 June, the lake level is approx 5 inches above normal conservation pool and falling. There is current in Little River with the gates releasing around 1,959 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Lake level has risen slightly, over the past week.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 78ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location. Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.60 ft-msl, with current, which is approx 5 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 1,959 CFS. Navigation considered normal caution on Little River and Millwood, watching for floating debris, floaters, and limbs from recent high discharge at the gates. Tail water has dropped this week also, and is currently at 233.23 ft-msl.

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 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains heavy stained. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20 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. 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 fair between 2 and 4 pounds on topwaters early and late. Most bass are the most aggressive at dawn around lily pad stands, stumps, cypress trees, and vegetation shallow. Buzz baits, Arborghast Jitterbugs in frog colors, Zara spooks in shad patterns, and Crazy Shads are still drawing reactions at the surface at daybreak. Soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads are still drawing good responses, early and later in the day by deadsticking. Buzz baits are working in Bleeding Bream, black, or bleeding shad (white/pink) colors around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels. Best colors of Crazy Shad are chrome/black back and Bass Assassin Shads best in Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom. Good bites continue on black, white, and june bug colored soft plastic frogs this week around pads in clearest water you can find.

The bite has improved on jigs in Little River now that the current has slowed some, and fish are roaming the river. The lower discharge and slower flow rates are positioning fish behind stumps yet allowing them to ambush jigs, tubes, bulky 10" worms, and squarebill crankbaits with abandon early along old river channel swings. The Bass Assassin Shads in salt & pepper or crystal shad colors continue working around vegetation, and Rat-L-Trap/Echo 1.75 squarebills are working around deeper drops in Little River, and in the mouths of creek channels dumping into the river. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes in pumpkinseed, black/blue tail, or Appleseed colors have been working over the past several weeks.

Lots of top water action continues this week away from current of Little River, and topwater Zara Spooks, Pop-Rs and Jitterbugs, work best right at daylight.

10" bulky worms, jigs, tubes, and squarebill Echo 1.75 and deeper crankbaits are working after the topwater bite subsides. Best colors have been black, blue fleck, and plum on the big worms. Best Echo 1.75 crankbaits are the Millwood Magic, sexy chrome, and ghost colors. Deeper diving cranks like the Fat Free Shad are working from 6-9 feet deep in Citruse and Tenneessee Shad colors.

Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs are taking nice bass in the 3lb class using Texas Craw, Watermelon Candy, or june bug colors with a green pumpkin or black craw trailer. Swimming the jig and alternating with a big black and blue chatterbait, are working around pads and stumps from 5-8 feet of depth in shady areas of the oxbows.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught on Fat Free Shad crankbaits from 7-12 feet deep. White bass were surface schooling 2 weeks ago in back of Horseshoe and McGuire Oxbows. These surface schoolers were hitting casting spoons, zara spooks, Clear Rat-L-Traps, and clear Baby Torpedoes.

Crappie: the Crappie improved over the past week, and were biting over planted brush piles vertical jigging tubes and jigs from 9-12 feet of depth. Best colors were white, chartreuse, and blue combinations.

Cats: Blues and channel cats continue biting good in the current in Little River over the past week on trot lines, approx 8-10 feet, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best bites continue to be on cut buffalo, chicken hearts, and livers.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 78ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 5 inches above normal pool at 259.60 ft-msl, and falling with river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 1,959 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, dropped to 233.23 ft-msl. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, considered normal navigation.

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 10-15 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains heavy stained. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is stained 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!