• 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:

    As of Monday, 9 Jan, the lake level is approx 3" above normal conservation pool and falling. There is increased current this week of Little River, with the gates releasing around 2330 CFS as of Monday. Water temps dropped slightly over the past week. Navigation is cautioned for Little River as of Monday due to many missing river buoys throughout the channel on main lake structure. Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 40ºF early, to 45ºF late, depending on location. Appears the Corps of Engineers continue working to replace some river buoys in the channel over the past week, however several are either out of place or missing in the main lake body. Use caution in navigation on the Little River throughout the main lake body.

    Bass are slow to fair on warm days, from 2-3 pounds on jigs, crankbaits, and bulky tubes and 10" worms. Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.4 ft-msl, with consistent current from last week. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was approx 2332 CFS. Tailwater level as of Monday at 227.8 ft-msl. Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks.

    As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 4-8 inches due to high wind and rain over the past couple days. Cottonshed, Saline River, Okay Point, and northeast quadrant remain stained. Little River's visibility ranges 5-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River clarity above McGuire oxbow is stained from rain and wind, approx 5-10", 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 completed most of their fall migration, and are now holding during the cold of the nights and most days in their deeper wintering holes along Little River and the deeper sections of the oxbows and creeks. Over the past couple days, this week, they are willing to roam up into the flats for short duration where a jig and a random crankbait & squarebill or slow moving tube or bulky worm will get their attention, during the highest sun/warmest period of the day. Most bass have slowed to fair feeding moods over the past few weeks. Good starting locations include points extending out into Little River during the warmest period of daylight, and working the deeper drops into Little River where stumps and any remaining lily pad stems may exist. Majority of hours of the daylight now the bass are spending more time in the 9-15+ foot depths of deeper creek channels and Little River drop offs.

    Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs continue working this week with the best colors being Black/blue/purple, Texas Craw, or Spotted Tobasco colors using black craw worm trailers. Berkley 10" Berkley Power worms in blue fleck continue working around any remaining vegetation and drop-offs in creek channels and mouths of creeks.

    The 1.75 Echo Squarebill crankbaits in Ghost, Sexy West, or Millwood Magic colors are working on points and in creek channels, dumping into Little River during warmest period of daylight. The bite has slowed and aggressive levels tapered off over the past few weeks of cold nights and cool mornings. Best bites using crankbaits is a stop-n-go retrieve with a few pauses along the way.

    Deeper diving Bomber cranks in Citrus Shad, & Tennessee Special colors continue to be best choices in the oxbows and in the deeper creek channels over the past several weeks by Largemouths and White Bass alike. These same cranks and squarebills are also working in creek mouths and points extending into Little River at various times during the day.

    Magnum sized, bulky 3-5" big fatbutt gizzit tubes continue working in creeks next to stumps and standing timber. Best colors over the past week include black/blue tail, smoke/chartreuse or bluegill. Placing rattles in the tubes are best way with the stained water conditions, and adding scent pads, for the bass to locate the slow moving tubes. Pitching and shaking the rattling tubes near stumps in 9-12 feet of creek channel depths, are getting some good responses from lethargic bass on colder days/mornings.

    White Bass: Keep a jigging spoon handy for these nomads. Deep holes in Little River just out of the current, or behind secondary points will hold a few good schools of Whites from 12-18 feet of depth. Keep sharp hooks on the spoons, the bite of Whites this time of year is slow and methodical, and a soft touch rod helps keep in contact with a slow and soft bite.

    Crappie: have improved along Little River. Planted brush in 15-17 feet are beginning to draw in some good slabs out of any remaining, reduced current. Cordell Paddle tail smoke grubs on light wire jig heads, and Blakemore Roadrunners continue catching some nice slabs in planted brush between 15-17-18 feet deep.

    Cats: Blues and channel cats continue to bite good in Little River over the past couple weeks. Best best are trot lines 15-20 feet of depth along outer bends of Little River using cut buffalo, cut shad, or chicken gizzards.


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


    Surface temps as of Monday dropped again over the past week, and are ranging 40ºF early to 45ºF range, depending on location. USACE working to replace river marker buoys along main lake channel. Use caution until river buoy markers can be fully realigned or replaced as many are missing or drifted out of center in main lake structure. Millwood Lake level as of Monday is approx 3" above normal pool at 259.4 ft-msl, falling, with reduced river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 2300 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 227.8 ft-msl. Navigation caution is recommended for Millwood at current conditions due to missing or moved, channel buoys in the main lake body. Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks, most areas on main lake and Little River. Use caution running the Little River throughout the main lake body, there are many river buoys missing or moved out of center, in the channel along main lake.

    As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 4-8 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains stained. Little River's visibility ranges 5-10 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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