The Overall Picture:

As of Monday, 19 Sept, the lake drawdown and shoreline work has been completed. Millwood is approx normal conservation pool, continues on a slow rise. There is reduced current of Little River with the gates releasing around 170 CFS as of Monday. Water temps stable over the past week. Navigation is normal for Little River as of Monday; lake is normal pool elevation. Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging approx 79ºF early, to 88ºF late, depending on location.

Bass remain good from 2-3 pounds on Bass Assassin Shads, spoons, buzzers, and frogs at dawn. Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 259.21 ft-msl, with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was approx 170 CFS. Tailwater level dropped slightly as of Monday at 224.26 ft-msl. Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remain stained. Little River's visibility ranges 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 inches depth of visibility depending on location. Little River above McGuire oxbow is stained 3-6", some areas have better clarity. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds, rain, or thunderstorms.


The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Bass remain in good feeding mode over the past few weeks, best from 2 to 3 pounds on topwaters early and late, along primary and secondary points extending into Little River. Most bass are aggressive at dawn around lily pad stands, and shallow vegetation, where you can find the clearest water in backs of the creeks, flats, and oxbows. Shad are beginning to relate to creek channels over the past week or two. Points are good target choices to start.

Buzz baits in black and blue, Bass Assassin Shads, Soft plastic frogs, Johnson Chrome spoons, and Jitterbugs are all good top water choices, early. Working top waters around pads and vegetation, along points extending from creek channels into Little River, will draw good reactions at dawn. Grass beds located along Little River are good locations with a bulky 10" Berkley Power worm and Bass Assassin Shad. Good reactions continue on the spoons using a white or smoke colored 2" or 3" fat, curly tail grub trailer. Best colors of Bass Assassin Shads over the past couple weeks have been Silver Phantom, Salt & Pepper, and Houdini colors in the current water clarity and conditions.

Rat-L-Traps in Ghost, Millwood Magic, and clear holographic colors, 1.75 Echo crankbaits in Millwood Magic and Gold colors continue working in creek mouths, dumping into Little River. Citrus Shad colored Bomber deeper diving crankbaits continue to be best reaction colors in the oxbows over the past several weeks by Largemouths and White Bass alike. Berkley 10" worms in Blue Fleck, Black Grape, and June Bug-Red, or Red Bug continue working along grass beds in Little River in 6-10 feet of depth, and also around creek mouths dumping into Little River.

White Bass: Whites & hybrids continue roaming Little River and the oxbows, and are hitting the Citrus or Chartreuse Shad colored crankbaits in the back of the oxbows. Over the past few weeks week, with the heavy cloud cover, the Whites were again surface breaking on shad in back of Horseshoe and McGuire oxbows. Those fish were hitting small, Ken Pop's, Pop-R's, & Chug Bugs with a rear feather tail hook, and Little Cleos, Rocket Shads, jigging spoons, and Rooster Tails in red/white or chartreuse/white, and chrome Rat-L-Traps with abandon.

Crappie: Continued to bite well, over the past week on Blakemore Roadrunners, and vertical jigging Southern Pro Little Hustler tubes in planted brush piles from 8-12 feet of depth.

Cats: Nice Channel cats and Blues, continue a good feed trend this week and are good, up to 6 pounds each, on trot lines using cut buffalo, shad, and blood bait.


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


Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 79ºF early to 88ºF range, depending on location. USACE work and drawdown has ended, and Millwood Lake level as of Monday is at normal pool at 259.2 ft-msl, and slowly rising with decreased river current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 170 CFS on Monday. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 224.26 ft-msl. Navigation normal for Millwood at current conditions. Drawdown ended 02 Sept. Clarity and visibility is consistent over last couple weeks, most areas on main lake and Little River.

As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 8-12 inches. Cottonshed and northeast section of the lake remains stained. Little River's visibility ranges 8-10 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity currently ranging approx 10-15 inches depth of visibility depending on location as of Monday. Little River above McGuire oxbow is clear in areas with stain in others. 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. 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. 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.... 'Til next week, wear your life jacket & we'll see you on the lake........