The Overall Picture:

Well folks, this rain continues to keep things cooled off at Millwood. It continues to be a welcome site for us!

As of Monday, 22 Aug, the lake level remains in drawdown, approx 19 inches below normal conservation pool and falling. There is increase current of Little River with the gates releasing around 5,082 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River during drawdown conditions, as of Monday.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 75ºF early to 89ºF range, depending on location. Bass remain good from 2-4 pounds on early, topwaters, spinnerbaits, and frogs are best, in Little River near creek junctions.
Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 257.7 ft-msl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was approx 5,100 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for stumps, timber, and limbs at or near surface during drawdown conditions. Tailwater level as of Monday is 234.8 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks, most areas on main lake and Little River due falling water during drawdown. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remain stained. Little River's visibility ranges 8-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is semi-stained, some areas have fair to decent clarity. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Bass are improved over the past week's cooler surface temps, and are good from 2 to 3 pounds on topwaters early and late out of the current and Little River. Most bass are agressive at dawn around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation at dawn, where you can find the clearest water away from current in backs of the creeks and oxbows. Buzz baits continue to work well, as are Chug-Bugs, plastic frogs, Baby Torpedoes, Ken Pops, and Jitterbugs, all remain a good top water choice, early. Working top waters around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels continue drawing good reactions at dawn. Good bites continue on the soft plastic frogs and Bass Assassin Shads this week around pads in clearest water you can find. Johnson chrome spoons with curly tail grub trailers are taking some good fish in the lily pads.

Bass Assassin Shads in Mississippi Hippie, Gold Pepper Shiner, Rainbow Trout, or Rainbow Shad continue working best. Rat-L-Traps and 1.75 Echo cranks continue working in creek mouths, ridges, and along vegetation growth and weed lines near deep water drops. Chartreuse Shad or Citrus Shad Bomber deeper diving crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors in the oxbows over the past week by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Magnum sized, 4" salty tubes and Berkley Craw Fattys in black neon, black/blue or grasshopper colors are working also in the oxbows, near stumps, cypress knees, and lily pads.

Real Deal Custom Tackle Jigs continue catching nice keeper size bass from 3-6 pounds. Best locations are near creek channel swings with stumps or cypress trees, and best colors to get a response over the past week or two have been the Texas Craw, PB&J, and Habenero colors . Big, bulky 10" worms in Plum, Blue Fleck, and Purple are still working in the Little River 8-12 feet of depth, and also around creek mouths dumping into Little River.

White Bass: Whites/hybrids continue roaming the oxbows, and continue hitting the Tennessee Shad or citrus shad colored crankbaits in the back of the oxbows. Several days over the past week, with the heavy cloud cover, the Whites were again surface breaking on shad in back of Horseshoe and McGuire oxbows. Those fish were hitting small, Smokey Joe Pop-R's, Ken Pop's, & Chug Bugs with a rear feather tail hook, and Little Cleos, Rocket Shads, jigging spoons, and Rooster Tails in red/white or chartreuse/white, and Rat-L-Traps.

Crappie: No report.

Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in Little River on trot lines, approx 9-13 feet deep, in creek mouths and outer bends of the river. Best trotline baits last couple weeks continue to be chicken livers, cut shad, and buffalo.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 75ºF early to 89ºF range, depending on location.

Lake level as of Monday is approximately 19 inches below normal pool at 257.7 ft-msl, and falling with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 5,100 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 234.8 ft-msl. Navigation cautious for Millwood during drawdown conditions. Drawdown should be ending over the next couple weeks. Use extreme caution for stumps and timber at /near suface of Little River during drawdown.

Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks, most areas on main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains stained. Little River's visibility ranges 12-15 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location as of Monday. Little River above McGuire oxbow is clear in areas with stain in others. 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. 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.


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........