• Millwood Lake Fishing Report

    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

    The Overall Picture:

    As of Tuesday, 03 Sept, the lake level is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool and slowly rising. There is an increase of current of Little River since last week. The Largemouth Bass have been schooling in several oxbows over the past month. Little River and the oxbows over the past week are continuing to settle out and clear. Surface water temps were consistent over the past week.

    Largemouth Bass are full blown summer routines, the topwater bite has been excellent over the past 4-5 weeks with schooling activities up Little River.

    Surface temps as of Tuesday, 03 Sept are ranging 85ºF early to 88ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

    Lake level as of Tuesday 03 SeptTuesday, 03 Sept is currently is 259.35 mfsl, and slowly rising with increased river current, which is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Tuesday was a total discharge of 990 CFS . The tailwater level as of Monday was up, 224.87 mfsl.

    Clarity and visibility have continued improving over the past week. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 15-20 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 15-20 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity improved over the weekend and the current of Little River, ranging approx 3-4 feet 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.

    The USACE are in process of adding 5 new campsites to White Cliffs campground. Currently, work is ongoing to have electricity and pavement added to the new campsite areas, and they are expected to be completed within the next couple months. The upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is complete and River Run East park at the spillway is now open.

    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.

    The Details:
    Largemouth Bass: The top water action from dawn to around 10am has been excellent over the past 4-5 weeks, with surface schooling in various locations by bass in the 14-15" age class, and has been taking place in lily pads, grass, and pockets near cypress trees. Majority of these Bass continue their surface feeding activity aggressively at dawn until mid morning or the sun begins heating surface from overnight lower temps. Plastic frogs in the lily pads are getting good reactions, and Bass Assassin Shads, Johnson Chrome spoons w/ grub trailers, and spinnerbaits are catching good Largemouths around vegetation.

    The best reaction baits at dawn for the past few weeks for these schooling fish continue to be Bass Assassin Shads, Buzz baits, clear Rat-L-Traps, clear Baby Torpedoes, flitter-shad colored Dying Flutters, and soft plastic frogs and Johnson Spoons when the activity moves into vegetation and pads. Buzz baits in firecracker, black, or blue glimmer shad colors are good choices at dawn. Bass Assassin Shads in salt-n-pepper or gold pepper shiner and frogs in black or pumpkinseed are good choices in pads.

    War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Firecracker, Firetiger, Aurora, and Sexy Mouse colors are best colors working along the edges of pads, hydrilla, pond weed, and coontail moss or most any vegetation lines. Best color for Rat-L-Traps over the past couple weeks are Chrome Black Zombie, Lavender Shad, White Zombie, or Sexy Prism colors around 3-5 foot flats with stumps & vegetation nearby. 10" Yum plastic worms in Watermelon Red, Black Grape, Peanut Butter 'n Jelly, or Blue Fleck continue working near cypress trees and stumps.

    Real Deal Custom Tackle jigs are randomly working for nice, chunky, 2-3 pound Largemouths with improved water clarity. Best colors over the past few weeks are Okeechobee Spice, Mad Craw, and Habenero colors. We have been using black or green pumpkin craw trailers. Work the jigs on base of cypress trees, knees, and stumps in 8-10 foot depths of ditches, creek channel outer swings, around patches of sawgrass, and where alligator weed is in close proximity to cypress trees.

    White Bass: Whites also continue surface schooling up river and being caught in the oxbows along side the Largemouths using Bomber & XCalibur crankbaits in Black Shad, Tenneessee Special, or Rootbeer float colors, and in grass beds on Firetiger colored spinner baits. Whites also continue biting Rat-L-Traps in Chrome/black, Diamond Dust, and Millwood Magic. Impoved water clarity has improved the White Bass bite as well.

    Crappie: Crappie are fair but continue to improve the better water clarity. Live shiners, hair jigs, and Blakemore Roadrunners continue working by vertical jigging in and around planted brush piles from 8-12 feet of depth from daylight to around 10am. Jigs in white/chartreuse, black/chartreuse, or Blakemore Roadrunners in white & chartreuse seemed to be best colors w/ the current water clarity.

    Cats: Hi Fin Blues and Channel Cats are fair to good, on trot lines or yo-yo's with cut bait (shad, drum, carp) chicken livers, and dog food along Little River and creek mouths dumping into the river. The 10-12 feet deep wash-outs and creek dumps into Little River seem to be best locations for drop lines or tight lines. Yo-yo's hung from cypress tree limbs in the oxbows up Little River continue working from 8-10 feet depths using live shiners, chicken livers, and Charlie dough balls.


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


    Surface temps as of Tuesday 03 Sept are ranging 85ºF early to 88ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

    Lake level as of Tuesday 03 Sept is currently is 259.35 mfsl, and slowly rising with increased current, which is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was a total discharge of 171 CFS . The tailwater level as of Monday was down, 224.50 mfsl.

    Clarity and visibility have continued improving over the past week with the reduced current in Little River. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 15-20 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 15-20 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity improved over the weekend and the current of Little River, ranging approx 3-4 feet 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.


    The USACE are in process of adding 5 new campsites to White Cliffs campground and currently work is ongoing to have electricity and pavement added to the new campsite areas, and they are expected to be completed within the next couple months. The upgrade project and maintenance work including installation of a new bypass valve at the River Run East recreational area below the spillway is complete and River Run East park at the spillway is now open.

    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.

    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....

    Until next time, see you on the water,
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