AGFC Millwood Lake Fishing & Conditions Report, submitted by
Millwood Lake Guide Service each Monday/Tuesday.

}><(((º> Millwood Lake Fishing Report 11 April 2011 <º)))><{



The Overall Picture:

As of Monday 11 April, Largemouth, Kentucky (Spotted), and White Bass continue to bite fair to good depending on cold frontal passages. The bite continues improving daily with the warming trends. Largemouth Bass remain in various stages of the spawn for the past couple week in backs of creek channels, and oxbows along Little River. The Largemouth males & females are in all phases of the spawn, pre and post spawn, up river & tending beds, and are ranging anywhere from 3-8 pounds and larger at random. We recently watched and tried to catch a 12-14 pound bass on the bed for over an hour and she would not touch anything......


Surface temps continue rising during the past week, and are currently ranging 65ºF early to 73ºF later in the warmer afternoon hours, dependent on cold fronts, 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 11 April, is 259.32 mfsl, which is 1.4" above normal and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. The USACE has reduced total discharge to 215CFS (cubic feet/ second), to maintain lake level at normal conservation pool. Clarity on main lake didn't improve much this week, with all the high wind over the past few days. Visibility worsened over the past week with increased 30-50 mph wind, and is currently ranging approx 3-6 inches at best in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are much better and ranging approx 3-5 feet visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds.

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 Engr's toll-free information line at 888-697-9830.



The Details:

Largemouth Bass: The bass bite continues a slow improving trend daily with the warmer days around cold frontal passages over the past 2 weeks, and the activity of the Bass continues improving daily. The spawn is now in various stages of pre and post spawn up river, offering better action for Largemouth. The bass bite varies from early to mid morning, then again later in the day, in early and mid afternoon with increased daytime heating. The improved temperatures over the past week had more fishermen out on the lake. Surface temps over this past week edged upward again. Male Largemouth Bass, which had been searching bedding areas over the past couple weeks, are now tending beds with females in spawning areas, and are fair to good, but finicky, from around 3 to 9 pounds each, best baits being Rat-L-Traps, jigs, lizards, Bass Assassin Shads, and trick worms. Several Bass up to 9 pounds each full of roe, have been caught and released with the spawn in full swing up Little River in sloughs and oxbows.

Pre-spawn and post spawn female Bass, are roaming in creek channels and flats during various times of the day, cruising in and out of the shallows and creek ditches. These cruising fish are either going to or coming from bedding areas and willing to hit Cordell Redfins, Bass Assassin Shads, War Eagle Spinnerbaits in Spot Remover color, Rat-L-Traps in Red and shad pattern colors. Lizards and jigs also continue taking good quality Largemouths.

Best color of Jigs is black/blue or Texas Craw and they continue taking good, healthy weight females, which are cruising back and forth to and from bedding areas. Lizards in June bug, black neon, or chartreuse-pumpkin continue working for male and female bass. Bass Assassin trick worms in Merthiolate or lemon lime colors, Shads in salt and pepper color, Senkos and Salty Rat Tails in green pumpkin or watermelon red, are beginning to take some keeper bass on a light wire hook, deadsticking method.

Lily pads have begun opening and blooming over the past couple weeks, and the frog bite should be in full swing in relatively short order. These new pad fields are producing good solid keeper size bass on Bass Assassins, spinnerbaits, worms, and Rat-L-Traps.


We continue seeing many alligators already out this year, as a result, of the warmer weather conditions.

White Bass: continue roaming Little River, and were good in numbers, over the past week up to 2-3 pounds each. Whites remain in the immediate vicinities of Hurricane Creek, White Cliffs, and McGuire. These fish are eager to hit a number of lures, such as Rocket Shads, Bomber Fat Free Shads, Rat-L-Traps, Cordell Gay Blades, Cordell CC Spoons, Grubs on lead head jigs, Little Georges and white/red Rooster Tails all are catching good numbers of Whites.

Crappie: Crappie bite is fair, but improving daily. Vertical jigging tiny jigs, grubs, and shiners over and in planted brush piles and tops, along Little River above White Cliffs campground, continue working if one has the patience to wait out the bite during the mid or late morning hours.

Cats: Channel catfish continue feeding good, and nice size 4-5 pound blues were brought in over the past few days on trot lines and tight lines along Little River. Blues and Channel Cats were biting well on red worms, catalpa worms, or charlie, in 17-22 feet of Little River on outer break lines in current.

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

Surface temps continue rising during the past week, and are currently ranging 65ºF early to 73ºF later in the warmer afternoon hours, dependent on cold fronts, 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 11 April, is 259.32 mfsl, which is 1.4" above normal and falling. Normal consv. pool is 259.20 feet. The USACE has reduced total discharge to 215CFS (cubic feet/ second), to maintain lake level at normal conservation pool. Clarity on main lake didn't improve much this week, with all the high wind over the past few days. Visibility worsened over the past week with increased 30-50 mph wind, and is currently ranging approx 3-6 inches at best in the River depending on location. The oxbow's clarity are much better and ranging approx 3-5 feet visibility depending on location. Clarity and visibility can change dramatically on Millwood in just a few hours with high winds.

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 Engr's 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 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.

And As Always,

"""""<º)))><{"""""GOOD FISHIN' !"""""<º)))><{"""""""

Mike

Thank you for your interest in
Millwood Lake Guide Service ~ Arkansas' Best Bass Fishing!
Quality Catch & Release Bass Fishing!
Huge Crappie to Take Home!

Mike Siefert
Owner/Operator
www.MillwoodGuideService.com
P.O.Box 4957
Texarkana, AR/TX/USA 75505-4957
Come see what all the excitement is about!
21+ years in the guide business on Millwood Lake, since 1990!

"Some Photos courtesy, Jason Sealock"

"Your fun, we take seriously, so you don't have to!"

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

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