Millwood Lake Fishing and Conditions Report
02 April 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 DURING HIGH GATE RELEASE DISCHARGE RATES! LIMBS, LOGS,TREES, GRASS MATS, AND DEBRIS CONTINUE WITH HEAVY CURRENT IN LITTLE RIVER!!

As of Monday 02 Apr, the lake level continues falling from recently above normal conservation pool due to recent rains over the past weeks. There is a marked increased current in the river. The Largemouth Bass are in various stages of the spawn. Little River's oxbows over the past week have much improved water clarity. Warmer temperatures over the past week have again increased surface water temps.

Surface temps rose over the past week, & as of Monday 02 Apr are currently ranging 63ºF early to 77ºF 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 Apr, is currently is 259.49 mfsl, and falling, which is now approx 4 inches above normal. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was increased with all gates open, for total discharge of 16,920 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday, rose over the past week, and is currently 241.28 mfsl and rising.

Clarity and visibility as of Monday on main lake diminished with all the thunderstorms and fresh incoming water; stained somewhat in the river and main lake structure; currently ranging approx 4-8 inches in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are better, albeit, with some stain, ranging approx 15-24 inches visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

River Run East facilities are still undergoing maintenance and upgrades, and as such, still closed until mid-July 2012. 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.

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, lake level information updates, or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.

The Details:

Largemouth Bass: The best bass bite over the past week and aggressiveness of various stages of the spawn, continues improving with the increase of surface temperatures. Numerous techniques are catching bass, including buzz baits, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Redfins, spinnerbaits, and soft plastic shad jerk baits. Lizards, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits, worked around stumps, grass, dead lily pad stems, and wood laydowns in the oxbows, away from river current are working.

For various stages of spawning bass, Strikeworks Jigs in pumpkinseed/chartreuse, or Bruised Turtle, and Lake Fork Super Tubes, or lizards in black, or black & blue colors, are working with much patience. Yum Wooly Bugs and Berkley Pit Bosses in watermelon red or California colors are working also on the pre-spawn or bedding bass. We are also catching some 15-18" Bass on stumps in 8-10 foot depths with these magnum or over-sized tubes and slow rolling large Booya or War Eagle Spinnerbaits in cole slaw, firetiger, or spot remover colors. Best colors of tubes in clearer water back in the oxbows are smoke or watermelon-red, or purple smoke.

For the oxbows, where the water is much, much clearer, pitching a brown/pumpkinseed/chartreuse, or Hot PB&J, or Diablo Craw colored StrikeWorks Jigs around stumps, laydowns, and in lily pad stems were taking 17-19" size Bass. Salty Rat Tails, Yum Dingers, and trick worms, wacky-rigged in purple smoke fleck, watermelon-red, or Houdini colors are taking some nice 14-18" Largemouth Bass and a few Kentucky Bass. Dead-sticking Bass Assassin Shads on a light wire hook were catching a few pre-spawn female bass in the 4-6 pound range, worked extremely slowly around new blooming lily pads.

Rat-L-Traps continue to get you a bite from aggressive pre-spawn males and female bass that are yet to commit to the bed and still staging. Best colors continue to be Toledo Gold, Red Chrome, Red Zombie or Sexy Zombie colors, for Largemouth Bass in the 15-18" length range. The key to the best reaction on the Rat-L-Trap bite is deflecting off stumps in flats of 5-6' water depth, close to 8-12' drop offs. Bomber Crankbaits in Tennessee Shad, Citrus Shad, or white colors are catching a few Largemouths back in the oxbows away from muddy current, where the water clarity is much better by using the same deflection retrieves on stumps, as is working for the Rat-L-Traps on flats adjacent to deeper creek channel bends and swings. Bites happen just after the moment of deflection on the stump or timber, with a purposed pause.

White Bass: Whites continue congregate and are being found up above AR Hwy 71 bridge on points and cuts, and were hitting Rat-L-Traps and Bomber crankbaits up Little River. Based on current surface water temps, these Whites are beginning to finish up their annual spawning migration runs to Patterson Shoals areas where anglers are reporting catches of 25-60 White Bass / day.

Crappie: Jigs worked around cypress trees and knees were taking some nice slabs and pre-spawn Crappie this week in 4-8' depths in the oxbows up Little River.


Cats: remain very good this week again, on trot lines, yo-yos, tight lines, along current and break lines in the outer bends of Little River. Blues and Channel Cats were biting best on cut shad, chicken liver, & blood bait, in 15-18 feet of Little River on the outer break lines in current or on yo-yos tied along the Little River, in 14-15 feet depths.

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

USE EXTREME CAUTION DURING NAVIGATION ON MILLWOOD LAKE DURING HIGH GATE RELEASE DISCHARGE RATES! LIMBS, LOGS,TREES, GRASS MATS, AND DEBRIS CONTINUE WITH HEAVY CURRENT IN LITTLE RIVER!!

Surface temps rose over the past week, as of Monday 02 Apr are currently ranging 63ºF early to 77ºF 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 Apr, is currently is 259.49 mfsl and falling, now approx 4" above normal. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. Discharge rate as of Monday was all gates open, for an increase in total discharge to 16,920 CFS. The tailwater level as of Monday increased and was at 244.28 mfsl and rising.

Clarity and visibility as of Monday on main lake worsened with all the fresh incoming water and thunderstorms over the past week, and is currently ranging approx 4-8 inches in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are better away from current, with some stain, ranging approx 15-24 inches visibility depending on location. Water temps are stable lake-wide, due to recent warmer daytime highs. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds or thunderstorms.

River Run East is still undergoing maintenance, repairs, and upgrades; and as such, still closed for use until mid July 2012. 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 (creel increased to six/person/day, no length restrictions).


To receive project updates, lake level information updates, or volunteer, call the US Army Corps of Engrs toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.


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 12 inchers 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!



Mike

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)))><{{"""""""""""

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