The fish are still biting out at Millwood Lake

A full rundown on lures and other tips for popular angling locale

Arkansas Wildlife Editor Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service noted that Millwood Lake has received 611,275 Floridastrain black bass fingerlings stocked this year from the AGFC, and also the AGFC has added another 40-50 PVC fishing attractors in Saratoga, Beard's Bluff, Cottonshed and Okay Landing areas. These attractors, he said, should be uploaded to the AGFC website/active map shortly.

As of Tuesday, Millwood Lake is near normal; currently less than 1 inch above normal pool.

Millwood Lake pool elevation near 259.3 feet msl; and the discharge around 1,000 cfs in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. The tailwater below the dam and gates as of Monday remains around 225 feet msl and falling with discharge. Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website linked above, or at the Army Corps of Engineers website, for updated gate release changes and inflow rates. Millwood State Park and Marina are open. See the COVID-19 related information and camping reservation requirements at www.arkansasstateparks.co m/parks/millwood-statepark.

Surface temps are stable, ranging 84-88 degrees.

Clarity is consistent in the back of the oxbows, improving stain this week.

Clarity and visibility along Little River is at 10-12 inches. Further up Little River has more stain. The oxbows’ clarity is moderate stain, ranging 18-25 inches depth of visibility depending on location, several oxbow lakes continue improving clarity. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for random broken, or floating timber in Little River. Mike says, “We noted numerous river markers along Little River from Yarborough point, downriver to open lake, have been replaced and in good condition to Paraloma Trail!”

As for fishing details:

• Largemouth bass: They’ve been in their typical summer habits and haunts for last few weeks.

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Early morning continues to be key for the best bite of the day. Cypress trees/knees near lily pads on shallow flats are drawing topwater blowups early, using soft plastic frogs, crankbaits and Stuttersteps in the oxbows.

Best activity period remains from dawn to around 10 a.m. Juvenile largemouths are breaking on threadfin shad early in multiple locations, near and in lily pads for short duration periods. Bass Assassin Shads, Johnson Chrome Spoons with a short grub trailer, or H& H Short-Arm Spinnerbaits will work through the pads when bass move into the pads to feed for quick cycles.

Over the past couple weeks most largemouths continue active feeding at night and at early daybreak for a few hours in the oxbows of McGuire, Mud and Horseshoe lakes.

Stuttersteps and shallow square-bill cranks in Millwood Magic were drawing random reactions over the last few weeks.

Bill Lewis Lures' SB-57 and Echo 1.75 crankbait square bills in Ghost Minnow, Bluegill and Sneaky Shad and MR-6 Crankbaits and Rat-LTraps in Millwood Magic, SplatterBack or Ghost continue getting good responses as the sun rises and the largemouths transition to vertical structure after 9-10 a.m. Target vertical drops near 3- to 6-feet-deep flats that transition into 12- to 14-feet structure. With the lake on a slow fall, lots of the bass are pulling out of creek channels dumping into Little River and onto the points with large stumps and pads. A random straggler bass can still be found well into the creek channel, as long as adequate depth and a fast escape route is close to the points extending into the river.

• White bass: Disappeared and no consistent reports yet. Still searching for the whites!

• Crappie: Best bite continues

for the past 3-4 weeks.

Minnows and jigs have been the most consistent response, with minnows having a slight edge, working away from current and flow of Little River, in any clearer water sections of the oxbows and Millwood State Park, and near Okay Landing and Cottonshed areas near cypress trees from 3-5 feet deep and planted brush piles from 8-10 feet of depth. Millwood State Park continues seeing good activity in the pockets and coves near cypress trees and grass from 6-12 feet of depth. “Several guys were catching one here, one there, in planted brush along Little River we spoke with over the past few days,” Mike says, “but river crappie haven't been as consistent as the one in the clearer sections of the main lake or oxbows.”

• Catfish: They have slowed over the past couple weeks, on tight lines in Little River with reduction of current along Little River. Cut shad or buffalo, goldfish, spoiled chicken hearts and gizzards, or Punch Baits were working well for 2- to 4-pound blues and channel cats; anglers were randomly taking a few, but it was slow.