The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 11 Jan, the lake level has dropped since last week, is approx 8 feet above normal conservation pool, hazardous for navigation and falling. There is heavy current in Little River with the gates discharge level around 47,000 CFS as of Monday. Water temps dropped over the past week. Navigation considered hazardous, this week with the heavy current. Use extreme caution with increased current in Little River; watch for floating logs, wide debris fields, and subsurface obstructions! Surface temps as of Monday, 11 Jan are ranging 38ºF early to 46ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day. Not many fishermen out over the past few days due to hazardous navigation and current conditions. Several boat ramps and parks campgrounds have re-opened from recent high water flooding, but few remain closed due to the flooding and high water.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 267.09 ft-msl, and falling with increased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 ft-msl. As of Monday the tailwater level was 256.41 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility worsened over the past week, in most areas on main lake from recent high wind, thunderstorms and influx of muddy runoff. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 0-5 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 0-5 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity ranging approx 6-12 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.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: The Bass have been lethargic and slow over the past couple weeks with the colder night time low temperatures, increased current, and muddy water conditions. Not as many fishermen out over the past couple weeks, as before the recent 16 foot level rise of the lake.

Bass are slightly more aggressive during the warmest time of the day, typically noon-3pm, hitting very slow moving targets like crankbaits and large, 3/4oz War Eagle Spinnerbaits. Bomber and medium diving crankbaits in Tennessee Shad, Citrus Shad, or Threadfin Shad patterns, and Echo 1.75 Squarebills in Chartreuse Shiner will get slow bites during the warmer days in flats close to deep water creek channel swings. Clear water seemed to be their preferred hang out, in the back of McGuire. Crankbaits had to be moved erratic and slow to get bit, but they were more aggressive before the water temps dropped again over the past couple weeks.

Real Deal Kustom Tackle jigs in Black/Blue, or Texas Craw will get a few random reactions from some decent keeper size Largemouths as long as they are hopped slowly with a big pork chunk or big plastic craw, around stumps in deeper water. Using a black/blue flake Larew Hawg Craw trailer or Berkley Craw Fatty on either skirt color appears not to make any difference. Pitching the jigs to cypress trees in 9-12 feet depth in close proximity to flats and creek bends. Hopping rather than crawling the jigs seem to draw more reaction strikes.

Vertical jigging Johnson chrome/blue Splinter Spoons, Thinfisher, or Cordell jigging spoons with bucktails, have been taking some just keeper sized fish by vertical jigging standing timber in 10-17 feet depth ranges, close to or in deeper water standing timber. The key to finding quality fish that are active seems to be away from current, and muddy high river flows of Little River where large standing timber stands are in 12-20 feet depths.

Magnum size 3" to 4" big tubes and gizzits with rattles continue to get a reaction on cypress knees in 9-12 feet depth in backs of the oxbows where you can find any clearer water sections. Black/blue tail, smoke/black/red flake, and pumpkinseed/chartreuse tail colors continue to be best color selections.

Tail spinners such as Rat-L-Traps Spin Traps, Little Cleos, Little Georges, rooster tails, and Rocket Shads are still catching random Whites, Kentucky and Largemouth Bass, in back of the oxbows at creek junctions, points of creek channel swings, mouths of creeks dumping to deeper water, and in standing timber. Best colors of tail spinner hard baits like the Little Georges continue to be white, chartreuse, or a combination of those. Best colors of the Rooster Tails continue to be white/red or red/chrome combinations.

10" Berkley power worms in Black, Black/blue, and Pumpkinseed have been catching 2-5 pound Largemouth Bass in 8-12 foot depth areas near cypress tree bases and cypress knees, close to vegetation. Yum 10" worms in Peanut Butter/Jelly are also working in same areas.

White Bass: Schools of Whites were very aggressive on the crankbaits, chatterbaits, and squarebills from 5-9 feet deep couple weeks ago, before all the deluge of fresh and muddy water. All White Bass now are random and scattered unless you can find a nice school back in the back of the clearer water oxbows and away from current in Little River.

Crappie: disappeared with all the recent inflow of muddy water along Little River.

Cats: Cats have improved with the increased of current breaks on points across Little River depths on trot lines using cut shad, buffalo, and chicken livers from 12-18 feet deep.

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

Surface temps as of Monday, 11 Jan are ranging 38ºF early to 46ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day. Use extreme caution during navigation, as recent increase of draw at the dam was just increased over the past few days, and wide debris fields, floating trees, logs and timber can be observed in heavy current. Navigation is considered extremely hazardous with heavy current, limbs, logs, grass mats, and debris.

Lake level as of Monday is currently is 267.09 ft-msl, and with swift river current, which is approx 8 feet above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 ft-msl. Monday's discharge rate was around 47,000 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 256.41 ft-msl.

Clarity and visibility as of Monday much worse w/ the increase in muddy water and thunderstorms, and incoming runoff, more especially the oxbows. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 0-5 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 0-5 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 6-12 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 or the Millwood State Park campground at 870-898-2800.

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....