The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 1 Aug, its HOT. Hotter than blue blazes.

Millwood lake level is approx 2 feet below normal conservation pool and falling. There is slow current of 703 CFS in Little River; tailwater approx 226.9 ft-msl. Water temps were stable over the past week. Lake level in process of a 30-day, 2 foot drawdown for bank stabilization near Cottonshed Park according to USACE. Use extreme caution during navigation due to stumps and submerged lodged timber are at or near surface!

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging near 80ºF early, to 92ºF range later under full sun, depending on location. Navigation considered extreme caution on Little River and Millwood, watching for stumps and timber at surface with low level this week.

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 is 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 good from 2 to 4 pounds on topwaters early and late. Best activity period continues to be from pre-dawn to around 930am. Bass are the most aggressive at dawn around lily pad stands, stumps, cypress trees, and vegetation in Little River near deep drops. Buzz baits are still randomly taking good keeper bass. Pop-R's and Ken Pops in bone or frog colors, and Baby Torpedoes in frog and shad patterns are still drawing reactions at the surface at daybreak. Soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads and soft plastic frogs all remain working and drawing good responses, early in the day. Best color of buzz baits remain Blue On Black, Bleeding shad (white/pink), or Casper Ghost colors around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels or in the river. Bass Assassin Shads continue biting best on Salt and Pepper Silver Phantom, Houdini, and Bad To the Bone colors. Good bites continue on black, or june bug colored soft plastic frogs this week around pads in clearest water you can find.

Big bulky 10-12" worms, in black grape, watermelon candy, red bug, and plum or junebug are working 5-10 feet deep in Little River around standing timber, stumps, and vegetation. The deep and medium diving crankbaits like the Bomber Fat Free Shad, in Tennessee Shad, Citrus Shad, and Citruse colors are working across underwater points in Little River; squarebill crankbaits are working long old river channel swings where creek mouths and sloughs feed and dump into Little River. Rat-L-Trap/Echo 1.75 squarebills continue working in Millwood Magic and Ghost colors around deeper drops in Little River, and in the mouths of creek channels dumping into the river. Nice size bass are hitting on magnum sized, 4" salty tubes in Black/blue tail, Irish Whiskey, Purple Smoke, and pumpkinseed/chartreuse colors also, and have been working over the past several weeks.

War Eagle spinnerbaits continue drawing strikes in pondweed and hydrilla and lily pads in Firecracker, Firetiger, and Aurora colors where stumps and in vegetation collide, over this past week in Little River.

Bream colored chatterbaits and squarebill crankbaits, are working around pads, hydrilla, and stumps from 3-6 feet deep near cypress trees along steep banks of Little River. Chrome and blue spoons are working in stumps and timber from 10-15 feet deep.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and have been caught on Fat Free Shad crankbaits, Little Georges, Beetle Spins, Rooster Tails, and Rocket Shads from approx 8-10 feet deep.

Crappie: the Crappie bite continued improving over the past week, and were biting over planted brush piles vertical jigging tubes and jigs from 12-16 feet of depth. Best colors were white/chartreuse, black/chartreuse, and pink and white.

Cats: Blues and channel cats continue biting good in Little River on trot lines, approx 8-12 feet, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best bites continue to be on cut shad, chicken hearts, gizzards, and other cut bait.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging in the 80ºF early to 92ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday is currently 2 feet below normal pool, at 257.2 ft-msl and falling with river current due to ongoing drawdown conditions. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate approx 703 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday, approx 226.9 ft-msl. Continue to use extreme caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, due to 30-day, 2-foot lake level drawdown for bank stabilization work being done at Cottonshed according to USACE. Stumps, timber, and lodged debris are at or near surface presenting obstruction hazards for navigation. Wear your life jacket and kill switch and watch for obstructions. Navigation is urged caution due to 2' drawdown conditions currently on Millwood Lake.

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 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....

Use extreme caution in navigation, wear your life jacket and let us know how we can help you GET OUT THERE!!