As of Monday, 2 October, the lake level is approx 22 inches below conservation pool and stable at 257.4 ft-msl for ongoing drawdown. There is current of 174 CFS in Little River continuing fall drawdown according to the USACE. The tailwater as of Monday is approx 224.7 ft-msl. Water temps were stable over the past week. Check lake level of Millwood Lake on our website helpful links page, or at the US Army Corps of Engineers website for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels during ongoing drawdown conditions. USACE conducting fall drawdown to run through 15 November for planting millet grass for fall duck hunting, in the shallow flats. The drawdown will be approximately 21" to 24" until early October, and as of today, the elevation is starting to rise back up to 258 or 14.4" below normal and held there until 15 October when the Corps will begin raising back to normal conservation pool NLT 15 November.


Use extreme caution in navigation on Millwood Lake during drawdown conditions as this will bring stumps and broken timber close to surface pool in many areas, and the boat lanes will be much shallower than routine conditions, exposing submerged objects at or near surface pool. New NO-WAKE ZONES are in effect at both, northern and southern, ends of White Cliffs Campground on the river, and marked with river buoys. Be advised, no tolerance of boat wakes within the marked area, is being enforced by AGFC along the river.


Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging near 76ºF early to 85ºF range later under full sun, depending on location. Continue to use extreme caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood, this week during drawdown conditions.


Clarity and visibility continues improving, depending on location for main lake and Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-15 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 8-12 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-25 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. Also reach the US Corps of Engineers at 870-898-3343 for more information.



The Details:


Largemouth Bass: Not much change over the past few weeks. The lake's drawdown in elevation over the past few weeks, have moved the Bass to deeper drops off of major and secondary points, and creek dumps that junction in Little River. Bass remain good around 2-4 pounds, on topwaters early at dawn up to around 11am. Bass continue to react the most aggressive at dawn in the oxbows of Little River where creek channels dump into main body water. Top water bite at daybreak remains very good over the past few weeks on almost any top water prop or chugger bait. Seems like windy mornings, bass prefer the prop and splash baits more than the plastic fogs. The buzz baits, Baby Torpedoes, Dying Flutters are the go to baits on windy mornings. On calm days, the soft plastic frogs, Bass Assassin Shads, chuggers like Pop R and Lucky 13's, and Jitterbugs work to produce better results. Soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads and top water soft plastic frogs remain working best around vegetation and lily pads. Best color of buzz baits over the past couple weeks included black/blue and Firecracker/chartreuse around pads and vegetation adjacent to deeper sections of the creek channels or in the river. Bass Assassin Shads continue working well and best reaction we have had remain on the Grey Ghost, Houdini, Molting, or Rainbow Shad colors.


The deep and medium diving crankbaits like the Bomber Fat Free Shads, Fat Free Fry, or Fat Free Guppys are working from 4-8 feet deep in creek channels and across primary points along Little River with the best colors over the past couple weeks drawing best reactions are the Citrus Shad, White Pearl, Threadfin Shad and Citruse. The Rat-L-Trap 1.75 Echo squarebill crankbaits continue working in creek channel swings (outer bends and deflecting off stumps) and where creek mouths and sloughs feed and dump into the oxbows, and the the best colors over the past few days have been the Ghost Minnow, Ghost Bluegill, Gizzard Shad, or Stumpknocker in the better water clarity away from remaining current. Nice size bass also continue biting 10" magnum Berkley worms are still working with best colors over the past several days being Plum, Blue Fleck, or Black/Blue. War Eagle Spinnerbaits continue working in and around vegetation and cypress trees, best on windy mornings and colors drawing best reactions over the past week being Mouse or Hot Mouse, Spot Remover, or Chartreuse and Blue Firecracker.


White Bass: Whites/hybrids are back to early and mid morning schooling activities with all the recent cloud cover and cooler daytime temps, away from river current in the oxbows. Clear baby torpedoes, Cordell crazy shads in chrome/black, Stuttersteps, Little Georges, Rocket Shads, Rooster Tails, and Rat-L-Traps in Black- Chrome or Millwood Magic are still working.


Crappie: continue improving as long as the water continues clearing, and the reduced current of Little River. Crappie are best near standing timber and planted brush in the backs of the oxbows from 10-15 feet deep on vertical jigging spoons, small H&H's, Cordell smoke colored paddle tail grubs, and Blakemore Roadrunners.


Cats: Channel Cats continue biting well on trot lines set along outer bends of the river in timber from 12-18 feet deep using CJ's Punchbait or chicken gizzards and livers. Yo-Yos using shiners and minnow are catching some nice cats in the oxbows underneath cypress tree limbs from 6-9 feet deep.


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


Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging in the 76ºF early to 85ºF range, depending on location. Lake Drawdown in progress.


Lake level as of Monday is currently 22 inches below normal pool, at 257.54ft-msl and falling during drawdown conditions, with river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate approx 174 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday, approx 224.7 ft-msl. Wear your life jacket and kill switch and watch for obstructions. Navigation is cautioned during Millwood Lake drawdown conditions started last week by the USACE for planting vegetation Millet grass for ducks. Drawdown will be approx 20-22" beginning last week and running through 15 November with varying levels of fluctuation and lower pool readings during drawdown.


Use extreme caution during navigation on Millwood Lake during drawdown since stumps and submerged objects will be at or near surface pool. New NO-WAKE ZONES are in effect at both, northern and southern, ends of White Cliffs Campground on the river, and marked with river buoys. Be advised, no tolerance of boat wakes within the marked area, is being enforced by AGFC along the river.


Clarity and visibility is improved compared to last week. 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 8-12 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 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!!