The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 5 Sept, the lake drawdown and shoreline work has been completed. Millwood is approx 11 inches below normal conservation pool and rising. There is reduced current of Little River with the gates releasing around 328 CFS as of Monday. Water temps were stable over the past week. Navigation is cautious for Little River as of Monday while lake is returning to normal pool elevation.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 80ºF early, to 90ºF late, depending on location. Bass remain good from 2-3 pounds on early, buzzbaits, chatterbaits, cranks, and frogs at dawn. Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 258.2 ft-msl, with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was approx 330 CFS. Continue to use caution during navigation on Little River and Millwood, watching for stumps, timber, and limbs at or near surface during below normal pool conditions. Tailwater level as of Monday is 224.8 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks, most areas on main lake and Little River due low water conditions. 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 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is stained 3-6", some areas have better 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 have been very good over the past few week's drop in 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 Avocado, Casper Ghost, and Bleeding Bream colors are working well. ChugBugs, Jitterbugs, PicoPops, and soft plastic frogs are all 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 continue taking some good fish in the lily pads.

Bass Assassin Shads in Silver Phantom, Salt & Pepper, and Houdini colors continue working 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, or Red Shad 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 Little River and the oxbows, and are hitting the Citrus or Chartreuse 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, Ken Pop's, Pop-R'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: Continued to bite well, over the past week on Blakemore Roadrunners, and vertical jigging Southern Pro Little Hustler tubes in planted brush piles from 10-15 feet of depth.

Cats: No report for Blues or Flatheads this week.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 80ºF early to 90ºF range, depending on location.

USACE work and drawdown has ended, and Millwood Lake level as of Monday is approximately 11 inches below normal pool at 252.2 ft-msl, and slowly rising to normal pool elevation with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 300 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 224.8 ft-msl. Navigation cautious for Millwood during low water conditions. Drawdown ended last Friday, 02 Sept. Use extreme caution for stumps and timber at or near surface of Little River during low elevation.

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 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 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........