As of Monday, 10 December, Millwood Lake is on a rapid rise over 2 feet from all the recent rain in sw Arkanas. USACE gate changes at the dam are releasing around 3000CFS on Monday. Millwood lake is approx 29" inches above normal conservation pool on Monday at 261.6 ft-msl; and the discharge was around 3,000 CFS for Little River, according to the USACE. The tailwater below the dam, as of Wednesday is now approx 236 ft-msl, with USACE gates release at the dam. Water temps 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. Watch for sudden gate changes and debris, which will increase with current in Little River. Navigation is normal, and floating debris is reduced in navigation this week.


For more information on Millwood Lake levels, contract work, and maintenance, 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 40ºF early to 45ºF range later under full sun, depending on location. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood this week, watching for random, broken, or floating timber with the current conditions of river flow in Little River. Navigation is normal conditions with the current discharge.


Clarity and visibility have worsened over the past week with the recent thunderstorms and rain with river current and lake pool, and navigation is noted normal along Little River. Further up river finds highest turbidity rates. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility is moderate stain, ranging approx 5-7 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 3-6 inches with stained conditions, depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 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: Rain and thunderstorms over the past week, have stained up the lake again from high winds on Millwood. The bite for bass is random, and good warm most warm days, during the mid day hours in the oxbows, and we are finding Bass still hitting crankbaits in the oxbows, with Bomber crankbaits, bulky worms, gizzit tubes, and Yum Dingers yielding best responses. The schools of Largemouths, Kentuckies (Spots), and White Bass are getting fewer and farther apart, but continue to follow shad schools. Best locations over the past few weeks were for these schools located at mouths of creeks and sloughs dumping into the back of the oxbows on points, ranging from 10-12 feet deep with dead lily pad stems and stumps. Shad migration into the creek channels, continue over the past few weeks and the Bass continue following these shad schools into numerous creek channels, on points, and ditches. Best reactions we have seen over the past couple weeks, remain fair to good during the heat of the day, and continual to randomly hit crankbaits and Rat-L-Traps in the creeks between 8-12 feet of depth. Surface feeding activity levels have disappeared with current conditions. The best crankbaits drawing reactions over the past few weeks were Bomber Fat Free Shads in Tennessee Shad and Citrus Shad, or white. Rat-L-Traps and SpinTraps in chrome/blue and shad patterns like Millwood Magic, Sexy Bone Nova, Blueback Herring, or Liv-N Chrome continue working, albeit slower. These are still drawing random reactions in creek channels with any cypress trees, standing timber, and stumps. Magnum tube jigs like gizzits, Yum Dingers, Brush Hogs, 10-12" bulky Power Worms, and Real Deal Custom Tackle Jigs continue taking a few chunky, Largemouths in the creek channels from 8-10 feet deep on stumps, and on secondary points with stumps from 5-9 feet deep. Blackberry, Pumpkinseed, June Bug Red, or Red Shad colors continue to be good colors for soft plastic brush hogs from solitary Bass not chasing shad. Good reactions have been found on Real Deal Custom Jigs in Habenero, black/blue/ or black/blue/purple using a Hog Craw trailer for bulk.


Jumbo or Magnum 4" Gitzit Tubes are still drawing a few solid hits from solitary, 2-5 pound Largemouth Bass on stumps in creek channel swings, ditches, wash-outs, ridges, and cuts behind secondary points along the river. TIP: Put a rattle inside your tube jig on a tungsten knocker weight to draw a reaction in the stained water clarity conditions. Best colors of tube jigs and Gizzits have been smoke/black/red flake, Black Neon, and Pumpkinseed or Green Pumpkin with tail tentacles dipped in JJ Magic Chartreuse dipping dye. Pitching the gizzits on stumps from multiple angles seems to initiate a reaction in mid-day warmer periods.


White Bass: Decent size schools of White Bass continue following shad in the oxbows, and nice 2-4 pound White Bass continue randomly hitting Crankbaits in Horseshoe and McGuire oxbow lakes up Little River. These White Bass are following the same schools of shad along Little River and the oxbows as the Largemouths, and were back to randomly hitting Fat Free Shads, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Hammered Spoons with red/white bucktails, and Rocket Shads. Best color crankbaits for the White Bass seem to be the Tennessee Shad and the Citrus Shad patterns.


Crappie: Were beginning stacking up vertically, 10-15 feet deep in standing timber of the oxbows, and were hitting Cordell and paddle tail, smoke colored grubs and Blakemore roadrunners in white and chartreuse, before the recent thunderstorms and rapid 2 foot rise of the lake level and muddy inflow from rain and runoff. Since lake turbidity has increased over the past few days, the Crappie we were seeing have retreated to deeper water.

Cats: continue biting well on Yo-Yo's and trot lines in the Oxbow Lakes up Little River. Cut baits, punch bait, and Catalpa Worms were working well over the weekend, and late last week.



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


Millwood Lake and Little River conditions jumped over 2 feet from recent thunderstorms this week, and lake continues a rapid rise with gate flow at the Millwood Dam, and currently elevation is 29" above normal conservation pool, rising with increased current of Little River is around 3000 CFS. Use normal caution during navigation on Millwood Lake with the changing release rates and river flow conditions. Always use caution during navigation along Little River with current, or high flow conditions. We are expecting to see an increase in discharge rates middle of the week this week or sooner, with the rapid recent 2 feet rise from thunderstorms.

**** 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 40ºF early to 45ºF range, depending on location and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday approx 28 inches above normal conservation pool, at 261.6 ft-msl with current and discharge near 3000 CFS as of Monday. Normal consv. pool is 259.2 feet. The tailwater level as of Tuesday, approx 236 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. Watch for increased current and debris in Little River.

Clarity and visibility worsened from recent thunderstorms over the past couple days. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 5-7 inches. Little River's visibility is stained up river, the river clarity ranges 3-6 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 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 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!