Ashdown /Texarkana
Hotels .. Next Closest Towns

Current Weather and Lake Levels

10 Pound Hog Caught and Released on Millwood Lake

Information on Advertising  peter@fishin.com

Millwood Lake Fishing Report Updated November 17, 2009

The Overall Picture:

Navigation conditions in Little River are near normal, and 4 Foot Drawdown in process. Use Extreme Caution during Navigation and at boat ramps.

As of Tuesday 17 November, Largemouth Bass are improved, due to falling lake level to near normal conditions. The schooling fish disappeared with the muddy water and current in Little River. Surface water temps are currently in the lower to mid 60's. Repeated cold fronts have dropped the water surface temps another few degrees within the last several weeks. Schooling bass were being caught in Little River several weeks ago at random intervals and various locations throughout the daylight hours, but are very random with the influx of muddy water and rapidly changing conditions and heavy current in Little River. Largemouth Bass ranging from 3-9 pounds are in typical fall patterns. Crankbaits, Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits, worms, and jigs are the go to baits for Bass over the past several weeks.

Exercise extreme caution during running Little River during low light conditions as there are still numerous river buoy markers pushed out of place from river centerline, or missing, due to recent current and major pool fluctuations over the past 2 weeks. USACE began the four foot drawdown 13 July, and stumps are exposed along the river, during the drawdown pool elevation. This four foot drawdown will remain in effect until February 2010. Use caution near end of boat ramps due to sediment, gravel, and shallow pool levels. As of Tuesday, 17 November, the lake level is still falling back to drawdown level, and currently is 9.7 inches below normal lake pool with heavy current in Little River.

Boat ramps at various locations are closed due to lake level during drawdown. Yarborough and Jack's Isle are still open. Use extreme caution due to shallow ramps and siltation / sedimentation and drop offs at the end of ramps, lake wide during the drawdown! Gravel has been added by the USACE, to the end of the ramps at Wilton (Hwy 71) and White Cliffs to assist loading and unloading boats and trailers.

As of Tuesday, 17 November, the lake level, which is 9.7 inches below normal, has heavy current in Little River in attempt to reach drawdown pool from recent heavy rains. USACE made gate changes at the dam, to compensate, and is now falling, and below normal conservation pool. The 4 foot draw down still in effect and is being compensated at the dam's discharge accordingly. Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging from approx 60ºF early, to 64ºF late, depending of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Tuesday, 17 November is 258.39 feet. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet.

As of Tuesday, the 4' drawdown is in process and discharge of 12,765 CFS is with 13 gates open at 3 feet each and 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet each. Main lake visibility and clarity slightly improved and is approx 3-5" and current reduced in Little River. The tailwater elevation on Tuesday is 239.94 feet and falling. The oxbow's clarity recently improved, and is approx 10-12". High winds and / or thunder storms will have a dramatic impact and effect on Millwood Lake clarity merely in a matter of hours.

Boat ramp repair and improvements at the Millwood State Park are recently completed.

A drawdown of four feet on Millwood Lake, began July 13, 2009 until Feb. 9, 2010 to control unwanted aquatic vegetation and make scheduled repairs, according to the Corps of Engineers. The lake will be allowed to refill 2 feet above normal pool elevation to 261.2 feet, in February 2010, the 2-foot rise will last one month, and then the lake will be returned to normal pool.

During the 4' drawdown, boaters should exercise extreme caution because submerged stumps and shallow areas have begun to appear. Also, boaters should be cautious when launching because of damage or sediment buildup or drop-offs that may have occurred at the ends of the ramps. Boat ramp closures may occur during the drawdown. To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Brooke Kervin at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office.

To receive updates, call the Corps’ toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Over the past week, fish have continued the trend to a more normal fall pattern. The feeding activity of Bass has picked up somewhat, now that the lake is slightly below normal level. The best bite over the past few weeks began shifting to mid-day. However, recent schooling activity of Largemouth Bass has re-appeared at random in the back of Yarborough Lake and various other locations upriver, in the oxbows, where clearer water can be located.

The best reaction bite over the past 2 weeks was on smoke or holographic grubs rigged on white jig heads for schooling fish, along with topwater baits like Cordell Crazy Shads, Clear Baby Torpedoes, Bass Assassin Shad jerk baits and Pop-R's or Chug Bugs. For sub-surface schools, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Big O or XCalibur Fat Free Shad Crank baits were best bets. Since the lake level and reduced current has began returning to normal, surface temperatures stabilize, best bite is a reaction presentation with big bulky 10" worms, jigs and slow rolling bulky spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

The best Rat-L-Trap colors over the past couple weeks are Millwood Magic, Tennessee Shad, and Yearling Bass w/orange belly. In the better clarity areas in the oxbows, Transparent and Holographic Blue Shad patterns were the best reaction Trap colors. These will continue working for a good reaction bite in the better water clarity areas of the oxbows as well as schooling bass. The Bass Assassin Shads, Johnson spoons, and Yum Buzz Frogs are still working inside these vegetation areas where the fish are schooling in the lily pads or vegetation where the Traps or cranks can't be utilized.

Slow rolling spinner baits in White/ Chartreuse, Spot Remover, or Hot Mouse colors are the best option inside grass and vegetation in the oxbows, in the clearest water areas available, typically in the oxbows away from the current of Little River. Soft plastic Bass Assassin Shads and Yum Buzz Frogs continue working randomly for Bass, around hydrilla, lily pad stems, and pondweed are working especially where you find new dollar pads and lily pads growing in close proximity. Best color for Yum Buzz Frogs are Pumpkin Pearl or Black.

Shallow to medium running depth crankbaits like the Cordell Big O, or Fat Free Shads in gray mouse, white, or citrus shad colors in clearer water, and Bandit cranks in brown back/orange belly and firetiger were taking some keeper size bass heavier stained water. 10" worms in Blue Fleck, Red Shad or Black colors, are all good colors in the heavier stained and muddy areas, by pitching or flipping stumps, cypress trees, and laydown tree trunks near deep water. Crankbaits are many times finding schools of larger bass before any surface activity is being observed.

Magnum Tubes like the 3-4" Southern Pro Tubes are working in remaining flooded grass and stumps over the past week now that normal pool is returning. Best colors we have observed working for tubes and gitzits are pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail, smoke/black & red flake w/ chartreuse tails, or solid black with red flake (black neon).

Jig bite, continues to improve on cypress trees, knees, stumps and laydowns. Texas Craw, Black/blue, or Chartreuse-Pumpkin colors will take a few keeper bass in the 3-4 lb class. Keeper size bass, in the 3-5 pound class, have been caught over the past couple weeks on Texas rigged 10" worms and 8" lizards in June Bug, Black Moccasin, Peanut Butter & Jelly colors.

White Bass: Schooling White Bass disappeared with the increase in muddy water and current. They will return and improve over the next week to ten days now that water clarity is improving.

Crappie: bite almost completely shut down with all the current, muddy water, and rapid pool fluctuations along Little River, over the past couple weeks. They will improve over the next week to ten days, now that the water has begun clearing.

Channel Cats: Channel Cats are loving the current along Little River and biting extremely well with the increase in current, and are best on bulky earthworms, cut shad, chicken livers, or Charlie by either tight-lining, or on yo-yo's hung from cypress trees in the oxbows over 10-15' depths, and on trotlines in Little River current.

}> Millwood Lake & Little River Conditions Report < {

Navigation conditions in Little River are near normal, and 4 Foot Drawdown in process. Use Extreme Caution during Navigation and at boat ramps.

Exercise extreme caution during running Little River during low light conditions as there are still numerous river buoy markers pushed out of place from river centerline, or missing, due to recent current and major pool fluctuations over the past 2 weeks. USACE began the four foot drawdown 13 July, and stumps are exposed along the river, during the drawdown pool elevation. This four foot drawdown will remain in effect until February 2010. Use caution near end of boat ramps due to sediment, gravel, and shallow pool levels. As of Tuesday, 17 November, the lake level is still falling back to drawdown level, and currently is 9.7 inches below normal lake pool with heavy current in Little River.

Boat ramps at various locations are closed due to lake level during drawdown. Yarborough and Jack's Isle are still open. Use extreme caution due to shallow ramps and siltation / sedimentation and drop offs at the end of ramps, lake wide during the drawdown! Gravel has been added by the USACE, to the end of the ramps at Wilton (Hwy 71) and White Cliffs to assist loading and unloading boats and trailers.

As of Tuesday, 17 November, the lake level, which is 9.7 inches below normal, has heavy current in Little River in attempt to reach drawdown pool from recent heavy rains. USACE made gate changes at the dam, to compensate, and is now falling, and below normal conservation pool. The 4 foot draw down still in effect and is being compensated at the dam's discharge accordingly. Main lake and Little River's water surface temps are currently ranging from approx 60ºF early, to 64ºF late, depending of course, on location and time of day. Lake level on Millwood as of Tuesday, 17 November is 258.39 feet. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet.

As of Tuesday, the 4' drawdown is in process and discharge of 12,765 CFS is with 13 gates open at 3 feet each and 2 sluice gates open at 6 feet each. Main lake visibility and clarity slightly improved and is approx 3-5" and current reduced in Little River. The tailwater elevation on Tuesday is 239.94 feet and falling. The oxbow's clarity recently improved, and is approx 10-12". High winds and / or thunder storms will have a dramatic impact and effect on Millwood Lake clarity merely in a matter of hours.

Boat ramp repair and improvements at the Millwood State Park are recently completed.

A drawdown of four feet on Millwood Lake, began July 13, 2009 until Feb. 9, 2010 to control unwanted aquatic vegetation and make scheduled repairs, according to the Corps of Engineers. The lake will be allowed to refill 2 feet above normal pool elevation to 261.2 feet, in February 2010, the 2-foot rise will last one month, and then the lake will be returned to normal pool.

During the 4' drawdown, boaters should exercise extreme caution because submerged stumps and shallow areas have begun to appear. Also, boaters should be cautious when launching because of damage or sediment buildup or drop-offs that may have occurred at the ends of the ramps. Boat ramp closures may occur during the drawdown. To volunteer for one of the cleanup dates or ramp and USACE park information, contact Brooke Kervin at the Millwood Tri-Lakes Project Office.

To receive updates, call the Corps’ toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

Wear your Life Jacket!! 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!!

Don't forget, be courteous, and respect the other guy's right to use the lake too. Release those big bass to spawn and fight again, and take home those little 16"ers to fry up! Use caution in low light conditions, and wear your flotation device! If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive.

Visit us on the web for the most current Millwood Lake fishing 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, and Arkansas.com.

And As Always,

Good Fishin!