• 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, 16 April, the lake level climbed with all the recent thunderstorms, and is approx 24 inches above normal conservation pool and falling (as of Monday) at 261.5 ft-msl; and there is current of approx 22,000 CFS in Little River according to the USACE. The tailwater as of Monday is approx 247 ft-msl. Water temps continued improving over the past week. Be sure and check the most recent 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 and conditions. USACE has completed clean up on most Millwood Lake Campgrounds, and a most all are now open. Most all boat ramps, are now open including Millwood State Park, after all the 17 foot rise on the lake over the past few weeks. ***Be Advised, there are at least 2 BROKEN, MISSING, or DAMAGED BOAT LANE MARKERS ON THE NORTH END OF "LITTLE GAS LINE TO HIGHLINE BOAT LANE" FROM RECENT FLOOD DAMAGE. USE EXTREME CAUTION IN THE UPPER END OF THE BOAT LANE FROM THE HIGH LINE TO THE LITTLE GAS LINE CUTOFF AND WATCH FOR MISSING OR DAMAGED TELEPHONE POLE LANE MARKERS.***

    NO-WAKE ZONES are in effect at White Cliffs Campground on Little River, and marked with No-Wake buoys.


    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging near 58ºF early to 65ºF range later under full sun, depending on location. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for broken or floating timber.


    Clarity and visibility are mostly stained heavy in places, especially current rolling, up river. The main lake and lower sections of Little River are not quite as stained or muddy as the upper regions of Little River and Saline River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility is moderate stain, ranging approx 10-18 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 6-9 inches with heavy to moderate stain, depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 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: Largemouth Bass continue in varying degrees of the spawn, most areas of Millwood this week. Upriver Largemouths continue to finish their spawn rituals, and areas along the main lake remain pre-spawn. Most Largemouth Bass have been very good to excellent over the past few weeks with the continually warming ambient conditions, from 3 lbs each, up to around 9 pounds each. Tournaments over the past few week on Millwood Lake have given up numerous Largemouths at weigh-in's from 6 to over 11 pounds each. Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, Sweet Beavers, Trick worms, and Bass Assassin Shads on a light wire hook, and Rat-L-Traps all continue working well. Black and June Bug soft plastic frogs are working in new lily pad stands. War Eagle spinnerbaits in white/chartreuse or fire tiger colors, near flooded bushes, buck brush, and vegetation continue working well, over the past couple weeks for good Bass in the 3-7 pound class. Most of these Bass continue roaming in and out of bedding areas, cruising in 4-9 feet of depth.


    Shallow running squarebill crankbaits, and Echo 1.75's deflecting and banging them into and off stumps, from 3-5 feet deep, and were taking a few fat bass around 15-19" in length. War Eagle Spinnerbaits continue working near cypress trees, stumps, new lily pad stands, and vegetation, all from 2-6 feet deep, best colors drawing reactions over the past couple weeks being Spot Remover, or White/Chartreuse and FireTiger. Best color of cranks in the oxbows, like the Echo 1.75 squarebills, over the past week or so have been the Rayburn Red Craw, Bold Bluegill, and Ghost have been the go-to colors. Rat-L-Traps in Red Chrome, Red Shad and Toledo Gold all continue to get reactions from 15-18" Bass over the past couple weeks.

    Soft plastic Lizards, Brush Hogs, and Beaver Bugs are all working very well near bedding flats, close proximity to creek channel depths, around stumps and flooded buck brush, and continue picking up nice Largemouths from 3-7 pounds this week. Best lizard colors for the past couple weeks working best are South African Special, PB&J, Watermelon Candy, black/blue, and June bug colors.

    Real Deal Kustom Tackle jigs with a heavy craw worm trailer continue working on pre-spawn fish near Cypress trees from 4-9 feet deep. Best colors drawing good reactions from spawning Bass over the past few weeks continue working are Black/purple, Candy Bug, or Texas Craw, all with a black or green pumpkin craw trailer, with the current water clarity.


    White Bass: Whites and Hybrids were running in the Saline River above Cottonshed Campground, for the past few weeks. Chuck'nSpins, Little Georges, Roostertails, Rocketshads, and 1/2 oz Rat-L-Traps in shad patterns were getting really good reactions from the Whites, and limits caught in under an hour in the Saline River. Whites have almost finished their spawning runs now, up Little River headwaters, and are wrapping up in the Saline River as well, and slowed this week in those areas.


    Crappie: Continue to be caught and biting well in the oxbows, up Little River away from current, on Cypress trees. Crappie were reacting very aggressively hitting on jigs and minnows both, over the past few weeks near base of cypress trees from 1-3 feet deep.

    Cats: The Cats remain very good on trot lines using almost any cut bait like shad, buffalo, or trash fish, in current along Little River from 8-15 feet of depth.


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


    **** Be Advised, there are at least 2 BROKEN, MISSING, or DAMAGED BOAT LANE MARKERS ON THE "LITTLE GAS LINE TO HIGHLINE BOAT LANE" FROM RECENT FLOOD DAMAGE. USE EXTREME CAUTION IN THE UPPER END OF THE BOAT LANE FROM THE HIGH LINE TO THE LITTLE GAS LINE CUTOFF AND WATCH FOR MISSING OR DAMAGED TELEPHONE POLE LANE MARKERS.


    Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging in the 58ºF early to 65ºF range, depending on location.


    Lake level as of Monday is approx 24" inches above normal conservation pool, at 261.5 ft-msl and falling (as of Monday) with current and discharge near 22,000 CFS as of Monday. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. The tailwater level as of Monday, approx 247 ft-msl. Wear your life jacket and kill switch and watch for obstructions, floaters, broken limbs, logs, and debris along Little River during navigation. 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 heavy stain and muddy further up river. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-18 inches. Little River's visibility is muddy and rolling up river, but further down to the main lake, the river clarity ranges 6-9 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 15-20 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is rolling muddy with current. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.

    Be sure to note, new NO WAKE buoys in Little River along White Cliffs Campground, and NO TOLERANCE is being enforced by AGFC.


    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!!
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