• Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    Millwood Lake Guide Service
    (870) 772-6840 http://www.millwoodguideservice.com/index.html MillwoodLakeGSvc@aol.com
  • Millwood Lake Guide Service has been featured numerous times on the popular TV show Fishing Country with Charlie Pack. We guide for Largemouth bass, White bass, Kentucky bass, and Crappie. Since 1990, Millwood Lake Guide Service has supported and worked with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and The US Army Corps of Engineers regularly, Catch and Release Foundation, Black Bass Federation and Restoration Projects

  • Millwood Lake Fishing Report - AR

    The Overall Picture:

    All this rain during our typically hottest month of the entire year, sure is a welcome site for us in sw Arkansas.

    As of Monday, 29 Aug, the lake level remains in drawdown, approx 24+ inches below normal conservation pool and steady. There is increase current of Little River with the gates releasing around 5,335 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River during drawdown conditions, as of Monday. USACE tells us the drawdown condition is planned to end this Friday 02 September as the work is expected to be completed at Cottonshed Park. Watch for gate changes at the dam, late in the week by the USACE if ending drawdown occurs.

    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 77ºF early, to 90ºF late, depending on location. Bass remain good from 2-4 pounds on early, topwaters, spinnerbaits, and frogs all good topwater choices at dawn. Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 257.2 ft-msl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was approx 5,330 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 229.8 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 continue good to very good over the past few week's cooler surface temps, and are best from 2 to 3 pounds on topwaters early and late out of the current and Little River. Most bass are aggressive at dawn around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation, where you can find the clearest water away from current in backs of the creeks, flats, and oxbows. Buzz baits in black neon, bluebird, and avocado colors continue working well. Baby Torpedoes, Skitterbugs, Ken Pops, plastic frogs, ChugBugs, and Jitterbugs, all remain a good top water choice, early. Working top waters around pads and vegetation across flats 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 have been taking some good fish in the lily pads.

    Bass Assassin Shads in Rainbow Shad, Crystal Shad, Salt & Pepper, and Roadkill colors continue working best with the current water clarity and conditions. Rat-L-Traps in Ghost and Millwood Magic colors, 1.75 Echo crankbaits in Millwood Magic and Oxbow colors continue working in creek mouths, dumping into Little River. Chartreuse Shad or Citrus Shad Bomber deeper diving crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors in the oxbows over the past several weeks by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Berkley Craw Fattys in black neon, black/blue, or grasshopper colors continue working also in the oxbows, near cypress trees, and lily pads close to drops.

    Big, bulky 10" worms in Blue Fleck, Watermelon Candy, and June Bug-Red are still working along Little River in 6-10 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. Over the past few weeks 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 chrome Rat-L-Traps.

    Crappie: Improved over the past week on Blakemore Roadrunners, and vertical jigging Southern Pro Little Hustler tubes in planted brush piles from 12-16 feet of depth.

    Cats: Blues and channel cats remain good this week in Little River on trot lines set approx 8-10 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 77ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location.

    Lake level as of Monday is approximately 24 inches below normal pool at 257.2 ft-msl, and falling with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 5,300 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 229.8 ft-msl. Navigation cautious for Millwood during drawdown conditions. Drawdown should be ending this coming Friday, 02 Sept. Use extreme caution for stumps and timber at /near suface of Little River during drawdown. Watch for gate changes at the dam, by the USACE late in the week if drawdown comes to end.

    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........
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