As of Monday, 1 May, the lake level is approximately 14 inches above normal conservation pool and rising. There is current in Little River with the gates releasing around 15,000 CFS. Lake level is rising from all the recent rain and thunderstomrs over the past week, water temps continue a slow rise. Largemouth Bass are in transition. White Bass are scattered in large schools along Little River. Crappie finished spawning over the past couple weeks, and gar are extremely shallow in large groups making great opportunities for bow fishermen very shallow.

Surface temps as of Monday, are ranging 70ºF early to 78ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday, is currently is 260.6 mfsl with current. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was near 10,300 CFS and increased to 15,000 Tuesday. As of Monday the tailwater level was 241.01 mfsl.

Be advised there are NEW NO-WAKE RIVER BUOYS AT WHITE CLIFFS BOAT RAMP AND THE NO WAKE ZONE EXTENDS FROM NORTH END OF PARK TO SOUTH END OF PARK for approximately over 1 mile, and being enforced by AGFC in Little River. This no wake zone is being strictly enforced and is no tolerance for wake boaters or barges.

Clarity and visibility is heavy stained and muddy, this week depending on location, oxbows are in fair shape for visibility as of today. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Little River's visibility ranges 2-3 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity is ranging approx 7-10 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.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: Water temperatures slowly rising. Largemouth Bass continue wrapping up annual spawn activity, postspawn, and moving horizontally out to deeper water. Largemouth Bass from around 2 to 5 pounds each, are fair to good most days, running in and out of flats adjacent to deeper drops into creek channels. Baby bass fry have been noted over the last week already hatched. Buzz baits, magnum bulky lizards, brush hogs, 10" worms, chatterbaits and Bass Assassin Shads continue taking nice, 3-4 pound postspawn Bass near ridges, ditches, and flats adjacent to deeper creek channels.

The clearest water you can find away from muddy river current has been producing the best best bass over the past several weeks. Bass are continuing to move out, but are relating to flats adjacent to creek channels early, moving horizontally toward deeper drops in creeks as the sun gets higher in the sky. Buzz baits are starting to draw reaction strikes in coleslaw, bleeding pumpkinseed, and bream colors. Bass Assassin Shads in gold pepper shiner in the off-colored, stained water clarity, magnum Lizards in June bug, Brush Hogs in chartreuse pumpkin, and bream colored chatterbaits continue working over the past several weeks. The further from Little River muddy current and heavy stain water; and in deeper sections of creeks over the past couple weeks, will produce best Largemouths.

War Eagle Spinnerbaits continue working on windy secondary points. Spot Remover, white/chartreuse, and Aurora colors remain working fairly good for nice keeper, sized bass, in oxbows, up river.

Bass Assassin Shads continue catching nice Bass and best colors for the past couple weeks working in are the Gold Pepper Shiner, Panhandle Moon, and Hammertime, or Limetreuse Ghost colors in the heavy stained water clarity. Work these in and around new growth of vegetation lines, new bloom stands of lily pads, and buckbrush. Bang Jingle Bugs are working in these same areas, and best colors over the past week or two have been the Okeechobee Craw, Black/Red Glitter, and Red Shad/Green Glitter. Bulky lizards in California 420, Blackberry, or chartreuse pumpkin colors are working on cypress trees in clear water if you can find any left from the recent muddy rise of around two feet.

Baby brush hogs in Blue Flash, Sapphire, and California 420 are also working sporadically with the stained to muddy water depending on location.

White Bass: in large schools continue roaming, but are stacked behind points and secondary ridges and ditches with all the recent muddy water between McGuire Lake and Ark state Highway 71 bridge over the past couple weeks. Oxbows up and down Little River were holding large schools of the White Bass and Hybrids since the recent influx of muddy water in Little River, Cossatott and Rolling Fork inflow. Shad colored Bomber crankbaits, chrome/blue or Smokey Joe Rat-L-Traps, Little Georges, Rocket Shads, Little Cleos, Spin Traps, Blakemore Roadrunners were all catching these whites over the past week, but the Little River up past McGuire Lake oxbow, continues to be heavy stain to muddy over the past couple weeks with all the rain and muddy water coming into Little River from the Cossatot and Rolling Fork rivers.

Crappie: The Crappie are also post spawn, and have scattered with all the recent 1-2 feet rise of muddy water and current along Little River.

Cats: Blues and Channel cats continue biting well, with the current in Little River on trot lines, and in oxbows on yo-yo's. Cats continue biting good on cut bait, Charlie, and ivory soap in the current of Little River.

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

Be advised there are NEW NO-WAKE RIVER BUOYS AT WHITE CLIFFS BOAT RAMP AND THE NO WAKE ZONE EXTENDS FROM NORTH END OF PARK TO SOUTH END OF PARK being enforced by AGFC in Little River. NO TOLERANCE allowed regarding boats or barges of wake zones from north end of White Cliffs Campground/Park to south end which stretches over approximately 1 mile in Little River.

Surface temps as of Monday, 1 May are ranging 70ºF early to 78ºF range, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location, and time of day.

Lake level as of Monday is currently is 260.6 mfsl, and rising with river current, which is approx 16 inches above normal conservation pool. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate was around 15,300 CFS on Tuesday. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 241.01 mfsl.

Clarity and visibility as of Monday fair to stained. As of Monday on main lake structure away from current, clarity & visibility ranges approx 3-5 inches. Cottonshed and Saline in the northeast section of the lake is muddy. Little River's visibility ranges 2-3 inches depending on location and current. The oxbow's clarity also began clearing over the weekend 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. 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, kill switch, slow down for others, & we'll see you on the lake.......



'Til next week, hope to see you on the lake,