• 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

    As of Monday, 16 July, southwest Arkansas is still HOT folks. Millwood Lake level is in process of 24" drawdown effective today, is currently falling, approx 2.5 inches above normal conservation pool and lake level (as of Monday) at 259.3 ft-msl; and the discharge was near 1500 CFS for Little River, Monday, according to the USACE. The tailwater below the dam and gates, as of Monday had jumped up accordingly with increase of gate released, approx 232 ft-msl. Water temps continued climbing 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 while the Corps of Engineers drawdown is in effect. This 24" reduction of normal pool elevation will bring stumps and broken timber to, and very near surface pool. Use extreme caution in navigation during ongoing drawdown conditions on Millwood. Statement from the USACE indicates as follows:


    ASHDOWN, Ark., – The Army Corps of Engineers will begin a drawdown of Millwood Lake July 16 in an effort to improve shoreline vegetation. The lake will be held near elevation 257.2 until late August, at that time the lake will be permitted to rise as conditions allow, with the target to be back to conservation pool, elevation 259.2, by the end of October. During the drawdown, boaters should exercise extreme caution and always wear a life jacket because submerged stumps and shallow areas will be more prominent, especially in boat lanes. The drawdown exposes an extensive amount of shoreline for re-vegetation; promoting water quality, habitat for wintering waterfowl and fish production. Additionally it concentrates prey fish for predator consumption, promoting growth and production for larger fish. The drawdown was requested by the Southwest Arkansas Water District from their consumptive storage in coordination with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
    For more information on Millwood Lake and the drawdown contact the Millwood Project Office at 870-898-3343.


    ***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 85ºF early to 95ºF range later under full sun, depending on location. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for random, broken, or floating timber.


    Clarity and visibility continue improving over the past week, but remain stained in places, especially up river. The main lake and lower sections of Little River continue to improve, are not quite as stained as the upper regions of Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility is moderate stain, ranging approx 10-15 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 10-12 inches with heavy to moderate stain, depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20-30 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: The best bite of the day for Largemouth Bass continues to be from dawn to around 10am. During mid-day in this southwest Arkansas heat of 90-100ºF, until dusk, the bass are dropping off the flats into the depths of Little River where the thermocline resides between 12-18 feet. Largemouth Bass, over the past couple weeks, have been good early up to 3-5 pounds on topwaters, and cloud cover mornings remain seeing best activity, over the past few weeks early at dawn. Feeding activity levels have slowed with the increase of surface temperatures in the mid to low 90º range over the past couple weeks during the heat of the day. Best baits drawing reactions, at early morning, over the past couple weeks have been Buzzbaits, plastic Frogs, Baby Torpedoes, Jitterbugs, and Cordell Crazy Shads at dawn near pads and vegetation. Best color of frogs have been black or june bug in new lily pads. Buzzbait colors drawing best reactions lately continue to be Hot Firecracker Chartreuse, Bleeding Bream, and black. A good spinnerbait bite is working on shallow flats early, near lily pads and vegetation like pond weed and alligator grass, randomly, near stumps and laydowns close to creek channel swings. Slow-rolling the spinnerbaits off points, ditches, and creekmouths dumping into Little River from 8-12 feet, will yield a few random bass. The buzzbaits are also working across flats with stumps and laydowns near creek channels, and around lily pads. StutterSteps, Cordell Crazy Shads, Arborgast Jitterbugs, Heddon Crazy Crawlers, and Moss Bosses in the slop, are all getting fair to good reactions from Largemouths in creek channels near stumps. Topwater activity levels mostly non-existent after 10-11am with the high noon increased sun baking down. Very little top water activity after noon, until dusk.


    After the topwater bite slows, a fairly decent bite can be had by shallow running squarebill crankbaits, 2.0 & 3.0 & S-cranks, Echo 1.75's, to draw a few good random reactions by deflecting and banging/deflecting them off stumps, from 8-10 feet deep in creek channels and points. The bass around 14-15" in length are randomly responding to crankbaits in shad and bream colors. Best color of cranks in the oxbows, like the 2.0 S-cranks, and Echo 1.75 squarebills, for the past couple weeks or so have been the Bold Bluegill, Millwood Magic, and Ghosts. Increasing size up to a 3/4 oz Rat-L-Trap, fished much slower and deeper will draw a few random hits during late mornings in creek channels and across points converging with Little River. Best colors of Traps over the past week or so have been Millwood Magic and White Smoke. The Squarebills, S-cranks, and Echo 1.75 cranks and shallow running crankbaits in bream, Bluegill ghost, and Millwood Magic colors are working near creek mouths and points extending into Little River for the past week or so. Working the cranks in a stop and go, slow retrieve will draw a better reaction than fast retrieves. The drawdown currently in process will bring majority of predator Largemouths to creek mouths and points in junction with Little River in short order. Expect to see an increase of schooling activities over the next few weeks. Largemouths and White Bass were randomly schooling over the past week in Horseshoe and McGuire Oxbows along Little River. Castmaster spoons, Cordell spoons, Rat-L-Traps, and Little Georges, were all catching the surface schoolers over the past week. These fish appear to be juvenile and adolescent in age distribution, ranging in size from 1 - 2.5 pounds each.

    Bass Assassin Shads in Grey Ghost, Salt & Pepper Phantom, Violet Moon, and Rainbow Shad colors remain working over the past couple weeks near creek channels with stumps and vegetation. Magnum Tubes like Gitzits, over the past couple weeks have been working on stumps with best reactions on Black & Blue tail, Watermelon Magic, Pumpkinseed/Chartreuse tail, or Bluegill colors.

    Once again, after the topwater bite subsides, switching to medium diving cranks, or a big, bulky, 10"-12" worm around stumps on points and deeper in the creeks, will draw a few reactions from feeding Largemouth Bass, and on points dumping into Little River, and secondary points along Little River. Berkley Power worms, and Zoom Ole Monster 10"-12" worms in June-Bug/Red, Black, Blue Fleck, Red Shad, Junebug colors are drawing random reactions from Largemouths along steeper vertical washouts, ledges, and stairsteps along Little River and near creek mouth junctions, points, and intersecting feeder creeks dumping into Little River.


    Vertical jigging spoons are still working with Kentucky (Spotted) bass and schools of Largemouths in Little River behind points and washouts. Schools of Kentuckies and Largemouths feeding on river shad, will hit vertical jigged spoons with abandon, once the topwater bite subsides late in the morning. We have been using Cotton Cordell hammered spoons over the past couple weeks, with added bucktails. Some mornings a white bucktail is best, and seems like cloudy mornings that a red bucktail works better. Between Jack's Isle and Hurricane Creek along Little River, in 10-15 foot of depth where broken timber and stumps are located, will find the most aggressive spoon-bass feeders. Hurricane creek had some spoon feeding bass early one morning last week, and surface schooling Kentucky Bass and White Bass several days where bends of creeks contained deeper water in the 10-15 feet depth range.


    White Bass: Whites continue hitting vertical jigged 1/2oz to 1oz slab spoons in Little River between Jack's Isle and first entrance into Mud Lake, and also in Hurricane Creek from 10-15 feet deep.


    Crappie: Improved this week in planted brush and standing timber out of current in Little River from 9-14 feet deep using minnows.

    Cats: No real update from last week for this week, but we expect Blues, Channel Cats, Mud Cats to improve with the increase of discharge at the dam during drawdown, and the increase in Little River current this week.


    Bream: Were biting well at the Millwood State Park and at Jack's Isle over the past week using Wax Worms, Red Worms, and crickets. These aggressive Bream were biting from the bank and the floating dock from 3-6 feet of depth.


    Lake Level & River Conditions Report




    **** 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 85ºF early to 95ºF range, depending on location.


    Lake elevation Drawdown on Millwood Lake began today for a 24" reduction in normal pool surface through late August. Note Statement from USACE:


    ASHDOWN, Ark., – The Army Corps of Engineers will begin a drawdown of Millwood Lake July 16 in an effort to improve shoreline vegetation.
    The lake will be held near elevation 257.2 until late August, at that time the lake will be permitted to rise as conditions allow, with the target to be back to conservation pool, elevation 259.2, by the end of October.
    During the drawdown, boaters should exercise extreme caution and always wear a life jacket because submerged stumps and shallow areas will be more prominent, especially in boat lanes.
    The drawdown exposes an extensive amount of shoreline for re-vegetation; promoting water quality, habitat for wintering waterfowl and fish production. Additionally it concentrates prey fish for predator consumption, promoting growth and production for larger fish. The drawdown was requested by the Southwest Arkansas Water District from their consumptive storage in coordination with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
    For more information on Millwood Lake and the drawdown contact the Millwood Project Office at 870-898-3343.


    Exercise EXTREME CAUTION on Millwood Lake during the 24" drawdown now in process, as this will bring stumps, broken timber, and debris near surface, especially in some of the more shallow creek channels, and boat lanes across the main lake.


    Lake level as of Monday remains approx 2.5" inches above normal conservation pool, at 259.3 ft-msl and falling (as of Monday) with current and discharge near 1500 CFS to begin 24" drawdown, as of Monday. Normal consv. pool is 259.2 feet. The tailwater level as of Monday, approx 232 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 ZONE in effect at 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 improving, moderate stain, but muddy further up river. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 10-15 inches. Little River's visibility is muddy up river, but improving further down to the main lake, the river clarity ranges 10-12 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 20-30 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.


    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!






    'Get The Net.............




    Mike Siefert
    Owner/Operator
    www.MillwoodGuideService.com
    P.O.Box 4957
    Texarkana, AR/TX/USA 75505-4957
    Shop: 870-772-6840


    "Your fun we take seriously, so you don't have to!"



    "Some Photos courtesy, Jason Sealock"
    Thanks for your interest in
    Millwood Lake Guide Service ~ Arkansas' Best Bass Fishing!


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    Come see what all the excitement's about! Southwest Arkansas' best bassin' getaway! Watch our videos on Youtube and FaceBook by searching keywords: Millwood Lake Guide Service!!


    28+ years in the professional guide business on Millwood Lake since 1990, and over 5 million Florida Bass stocked by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission! Let us help YOU, GET OUT THERE!
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