Millwood Lake Fishing and Conditions Report
03 January 2012
Submitted each Monday/Tuesday for AGFC by
www.MillwoodGuideService.com

"""<º)))><{""" Fishing & Species Report """}><(((º>"""

The Overall Picture:

Use extreme caution during navigation on Millwood Lake due to high release discharge rates over 4,000 cubic feet per second. Limb and tree debris, floaters, and vegetation, ripped loose with the high water and discharge, are in the high current volume.

As of Monday 02 Jan, the lake level is now falling this week from all the recent rains in SE Oklahoma and western Arkansas. Current and muddy water have the Largemouth Bass scattered, but a few good bites can be had from mid morning through mid-afternoon. The Bass for the past several weeks, have shifted to breaks behind points downstream of increased muddy incoming water and current. White bass, Kentucky bass, have scattered on Little River and her oxbows over the past week. Stable temperatures continue to bunch the Crappie tighter and closer in brush piles, but have moved to clearer water locations, out of current and muddy water.

Surface temps remained constant over the past week, as of Monday 02 Jan are currently ranging 47ºF early to 50ºF later in the afternoon hours, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location and time of day. Call the USACE for lake level daily updates, Little River current, discharge release, and tail water levels.

Lake level as of Monday 02 Jan, is currently is 260.66 mfsl, and falling, which is now 17.5 inches above normal. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was all 13 gates open at 1 foot, for an decrease in total discharge to 4,476 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday, is 227.47 mfsl and is now falling.

Use extreme caution during navigation. There is a tremendous amount of current with debris in Little River due to the incoming muddy water and increase in release rate at the dam. Clarity and visibility as of Monday on main lake is poor and muddy; visibility was reduced from increased current, incoming rain, thunderstorms and wind over the past few weeks, currently ranging approx 2-5 inches in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are better, with heavy stain, ranging approx 12-20 inches visibility depending on location. Water temps are dropping lake-wide, due to recent back to back cold fronts. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

Currently, as of Monday 02 Jan, the final of three, successive, four-foot drawdowns has ended. The lake will be held 2 feet above normal conservation pool for approximately 30 days, then released to normal conservation pool of 259.2 mfsl. River Run East facilities are still undergoing maintenance and upgrades, and as such, still closed until mid-July 2012. Paraloma Park is closed for the winter. All other ramps and USACE parks are open. USACE recently completed updates at White Cliffs Camp ground with addition of 6-8 more campsites, and other facility improvements.

Use extreme caution during high water discharge rates because a tremendous amount of current, debris, limbs, logs, and floating vegetation mats are coming down river in the fast current. 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 or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

New regulations for Largemouth Bass regulations have gone into effect as of January 1, 2012. See AGFC Website or recent regulation handbook for details.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: The best bass bite over the last few weeks, has been pitching soft plastics to stumps, grass, lily pads, and wood laydowns behind points and cuts of the river, in the swirling eddies where current break lines are being used by the Bass with all the incoming rising muddy water and current. The lake level dropped over the past last week, evidently with the Red River cresting in the past few days, and continues a slow fall.

The keeper sized Largemouths are fair; from around 2.5 and up to around 5 pounds each, best bet this week are Gene Larew Hog Craws in black, or black & blue, and June Bug. Yum Wooly Bugs, Texas rigged, in Watermelon-Red, Black-Blue-Shadow, and Peanut Butter & Jelly, were also catching some 14-17" Bass on cypress trees and knees in 8-12 foot depths. Pumpkinseed/chartreuse StrikeWorks Jigs worked around stumps, laydowns, and in lily pad stems were taking 17-19" size Bass. 5" Ring-worms in black with Fire Tail or pumpkinseed, are taking some nice 15-19" Largemouth Bass and Kentucky Bass.

War Eagle Spinnerbaits are beginning to get a few good reactions in the dead / dying lily pad stems away from current. The best colors working over the past few weeks continue to be Cole Slaw, or white and chartreuse. If you are able to find clearer water in the oxbows, Rat-L-Traps in Red Shad, Toledo Gold, or Smokey Joe were taking some juvenile Largemouth Bass in the 13-15" range.
White Bass and Kentuckys: disappeared with the recent influx of muddy water and increased current. Hurricane Creek, Horseshoe oxbow lake, and White Cliffs areas, for the past several weeks have been very good locations for finding these loosely packed schools of White Bass and have produced very large numbers of schooling Whites and Kentucky Bass. These schooling fish were hitting Rat-L-Traps and Bomber crankbaits up Little River, running shad & occasionally surface breaking during the day. Snake Creek still has a few Kentucky Bass bunched up out of the muddy current and were hitting 4" mini-lizards in chartreuse pumpkin color.

Crappie: remain scattered with the increase of current and muddy water. Crappie seemed to have moved to clearer water in backs of the oxbows on deep cypress trees. Crappie were near planted brush piles along Little River between 12-14 feet deep but have moved out of the current and muddy water in search of clarity and depth. These Crappie were biting good on jigging tiny hair jigs and also hitting minnows, in the clearest water you can locate best from around 10am till early afternoon. Additionally, Southern Pro Crappie tubes, small Rocket Shads, and Blakemore Roadrunners were working over the past several weeks. Cordell smoke grubs on light lead head jigs, Blakemore Roadrunners, and Chuck'NSpins continue working, by vertical jigging in 15-16 feet depths brush piles and along old creek channels and ditches.

Cats: remain good on trot lines, yo-yos, tight lines, along current and break lines in the outer bends of Little River with the increase in current. Blues and Channel Cats were biting Catfish Charlie, cut shad, & chicken livers, in 12-15 feet of Little River on the outer break lines in current or on minnows and cut shad on the yo-yos tied along the Little River, in 10-15 feet depths.

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

Use extreme caution during navigation on Millwood Lake due to high release discharge rates over 4,000 cubic feet per second. Limb and tree debris, floaters, and vegetation, ripped loose with the high water and discharge, are in the high current volume.

Surface temps constant over the past week, as of Monday 02 Jan are currently ranging 47ºF early to 50ºF later in the afternoon hours, depending on rain, wind, incoming fresh water, location and time of day. Call the USACE for lake level daily updates, Little River current, discharge release, and tail water levels.

Lake level as of Monday 02 Jan, is currently is 260.66 mfsl and falling, now 17.5" above normal. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was 13 gates open at 1 foot, for a decrease in total discharge to 4,476 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday was at 227.47.

Use extreme caution during navigation. There is a tremendous amount of debris in Little River due to the incoming muddy water and increase in release rate at the dam. Clarity and visibility as of Monday on main lake is poor and muddy; visibility was reduced from increased current, incoming rain, thunderstorms and wind over the past weekend, currently ranging approx 2-5 inches in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are better, with heavy stain, ranging approx 12-20 inches visibility depending on location. Water temps are dropping lake-wide, due to recent back to back cold fronts. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

Use extreme caution during high release rates and current conditions, due to debris, limbs, logs, and floating vegetation with high current and increased discharge at the dam. 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 or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.
As of Monday 02 Jan, the drawdown has ended. Extreme caution during navigation is critical while the high discharge rates are in effect!! USACE wil hold the lake level 2 feet above normal pool (261.2 vs normal elevation of 259.2) and held approx 30 days, then released back to normal conservation pool and flush out the floating grass mats and excess vegetation killed during the drawdown, prior to the annual fish spawning cycles which normally begin in late February to Mid-March. River Run East is still undergoing maintenance, repairs, and upgrades; and as such, still closed for use until mid July 2012. Paraloma Park is closed for winter. All other USACE ramps and parks are open. USACE recently completed upgrades and improvements to White Cliffs camping area, with the addition of another 6-8 campsites and other facility improvements.

As of Jan 01, 2012 AGFC regulations for Largemouth Bass have changed. See AGFC website, or official regulation handbook for details.


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!!

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.

Come see what all the excitement's about!



Thanks for your interest in
Millwood Lake Guide Service ~ Arkansas' Best Bass Fishing!


Mike Siefert
Owner/Operator
www.MillwoodGuideService.com
P.O.Box 4957
Texarkana, AR/TX/USA 75505-4957

""""""""GOFISH""""<º)))><{{"""""""""""

21+ years in the professional guide business on Millwood Lake, since 1990!



"Some Photos courtesy, Jason Sealock"


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