• 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, 13 August, Millwood Lake remains in 24" drawdown pool; lake level is currently falling, at approx 17 inches below normal conservation pool and lake level (as of Monday) at 257.9 ft-msl; and the discharge was near 1050 CFS for Little River, Monday, according to the USACE. The tailwater below the dam and gates, as of Monday has dropped accordingly with gate released, approx 224 ft-msl, with 6 gates releasing near 1050CFS. Water temps have dropped 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 is bringing 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 83ºF early to 89ºF 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. 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: Not a lot of change from last week. Cooler temps over the past few days however, did improve the surface activity, and allowed the surface strike reactions to last a little longer on cloudy mornings. The Largemouth Bass and Kentucky Bass continue randomly surface schooling on shad in Little River and the oxbows of McGuire and Mud Lakes, along Little River for the past couple weeks, random in nature, and near mid morning, over deep water from 15-20 feet, and at mouths of creeks dumping into Little River on points, between 12-18 feet. Bass remain active at daylight up to 2 or 3 pounds pounds on topwaters at dawn. Feeding activity levels taper off except for the schooling fish much after daylight's first couple hours. Best baits drawing reactions, at early morning, over the past couple weeks continue to be slow-rolling buzzaits, soft plastic Frogs, Cordell Crazy Shads, Baby Torpedoes, Stuttersteps, and Bass Assassin Shads at dawn near pads and vegetation. Buzzbait colors drawing best reactions lately continue to be Cotton Candy Lime, or Hot Firecracker Candy. Best buzzbait bite continues to be across deeper flats near creek channel swings, with stumps and laydowns, and around lily pads. Cordell Crazy Shads, Arborgast Jitterbugs, Baby Torpedoes, and Bass Assassin Shads are working in or near the vegetation and lily pads. The surface schooling Bass are showing up randomly along Little River and the oxbow lakes most days, mid morning. 1/4 to 1/2 oz Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic, Ghost, Holographic Transparent Shad, Livin Chrome, and most any shad pattern are catching these schoolers breaking surface on shad, along with Little Georges, Hammered Cordell spoons, Kastmaster casting spoons, Rooster Tails, and H&H single spin spinnerbaits for the surface breaking fish. Majority of these surface breakers are appearing to be younger buck bass, adolescents and juveniles 1-2.5 pounds in size. These surface feeders are huge time to get kids interested in fishing, while the action is hot. When you see these surface breakers inside the vegetation and lily pads, throw a H&H Spinnerbait, Bass Assassin Shad, or Johnson Chrome Spoon with a white grub trailer on the back. We are getting great reactions to those baits inside the vegetation where crankbaits would normally hang up in the slop.


    After the topwater activity diminishes, a fairly good bite can be had by medium depth-running (5' to 9' deep) 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 12-15" 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 Tennessee Shad 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 has pulled Largemouths to creek mouths and points in junction with Little River.

    Bass Assassin Shads in Grey Ghost, Salt & Pepper Phantom, Violet Moon, and Rainbow Shad colors continue working for 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.

    After 8-9 am early topwater bite, 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 were still randomly surface feeding on schools of shad in Mud Lake and McGuire oxbow lakes with the Kentucky Bass.


    Crappie: No report this week. Last couple weeks, the live shiners, minnows, and jigs were catching a few fish mid-morning from 8-9' deep.

    Cats: have been fair to good on YoYo's hung from Cypress trees in Mud Lake oxbow at night, with live shiners and chicken livers, gizzards, and hearts, blood baits, and cut rough fish. Nice, Blues and Channel cats from 3-7 pounds were biting over the past weekend, up river.





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

    Millwood Lake is currently in 24" pool reduction drawdown by USACE, and currently elevation is 17" below normal conservation pool and falling. Use extreme caution navigation on Millwood Lake during 24" drawdown conditions.

    **** 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 83ºF early to 89ºF range, depending on location.

    Lake elevation Drawdown on Millwood Lake began last week 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 approx 17" inches BELOW normal conservation pool, at 257.9 ft-msl and falling (as of Monday) with current and discharge near 1050 CFS in 24" drawdown, as of Monday. Normal consv. pool is 259.2 feet. The tailwater level as of Monday, approx 224 ft-msl with 6 gates releasing 1050CFS. 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!
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