Millwood Lake Marina reopens for the season

Southwest Arkansas Regional Fishing Reports show the early spring bite is on

By Jim Harris

Arkansas Wildlife Editor

Millwood State Park Marina has now reopened for the season at Millwood State Park. The Millwood State Park Office can be reached at 870-898-2800 for additional information. As for fishing this week:

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— Mike Siefert at Millwood Lake Guide Service said that as of Wednesday, Millwood Lake is approximately 3.5 feet above normal conservation pool) and falling; oxbows' water clarity is excellent, Little River is normal stain. Millwood Lake pool elevation is at 262.6 feet msl with gate discharge at the dam around 21,400 cfs in Little River, according to the Army Corps of Engineers.

The tailwater below the dam and gates is around 243 feet msl and rising with discharge. Check the most recent lake level of Millwood Lake on the guide service’s website linked above, or the Army Corps of Engineers website, for updated gate release changes and inflow rates with rising and falling lake levels.

Surface temps jumped this week, ranging in 45-50 degrees depending on location. Continue to use caution in navigation on Little River and Millwood watching for random broken or floating timber in Little River. Lots of Little River buoy markers are missing along the main lake channel. Use extreme caution in navigating the main lake.

There are only 2-3 markers from Yarborough point to Big Bayou Boat Run in Little River.

Clarity worsened over the past few days in the oxbows and along Little River. Current along Little River jumped this week with increased discharge at the dam, and river clarity was ranging 2-3 inches visibility depending on location. Millwood State Park is opened for campers. See the COVID-19 related information and camping reservation requirements at https://www.arkansasstatep arks.com.

Largemouth bass: Bass were a little hungrier this week with warmer daytime highs and full sun. Pockets along South Hickory and along the golf course on

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the west bank continue to see improvement and activity. Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic or Rayburn Red Craw, 'Lectric Red and Red Chrome are catching fish.

Chatterbaits in Texas Craw, Black & Blue or Hot Mouse will draw a few reaction bites. Brazalo Spinnerbaits in white/chartreuse, Millwood Mayhem Bream and Spot Remover caught a few more decent bass this week, and Chatterbaits picked up a few 2-3 pound largemouths this week.

“Most bass we are finding continue randomly roaming shallow on full sun and bright skies in the 3- to 6foot depths of flats adjacent to deeper drops into 7-10 feet depth ranges,” Mike says. “The best three or four hours are during the heat of the day, best on bright, sunny, clear days when water temps will rise a few degrees after lunch.

Little John cranks got a few slow responses over the past week. Anywhere a creek channel runs into the deeper creek bends or vertical structure and drops into the oxbows, where stumps and creek mouths drop, have held some decent-sized bass over the past few weeks.

Heavy thumper tail swimbaits in Firecraw are working, Trick Worms in pumpkinseed/ chartreuse, black/blue and Blue Ice, and Beaver Bugs, Brush Hogs and lizards were taking a few good male bass this week on flooded cypress trees, stumps and along vegetation lines in ditches, creeks and flats from 3-8 feet deep. “Best colors of Bugs and Beavers we had luck with were Kudzu, Blackberry and Big Texan. A few places we noted had the appearance of early bed making activities in numerous locations between South Hickory creek and Millwood State Park; however, we are guessing these were made prior to the ice and snow from the week prior.”

Crappie: Have been slow.

Catfish: Channel cats and blues in Little River improved on trotlines, and in the oxbows on yo-yo's, using King's Punch Bait, hot dogs, and chicken livers and gizzards.

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— As of Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation was 408.88 feet msl.

Capt. Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Service said, “I’ve been scouting around for crappie. The water is slowly warming up. They are still scattered and suspended in the deeper channels, so a slow trolling technique works best. As the water warms, they'll stack up on the brushpiles better for a hovering, vertical presentation.”

Local angler Charles Abernathy says, “The water up in the river around Point Cedar/Cox Creek was a blueish-green color I have never seen before,” he said. “I’m still seeing crappie schooled up in mouths of some major creek channels. I’m also seeing the larger ones hanging out in open

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water. I was in 30 feet of water and the fish seemed to be using the entire water column, but the majority seemed to be within 15 feet. On my latest trip, I was using an orange handtie and also a monkey milk Slab Slayer with chartreuse green head. They both worked fine. If you haven’t seen my two previous reports, look them up. That information is still valid.

“Spring is right around the corner and these crappie know it. If you wait for the spawn, you will miss a pretty good bite. They are feeding right now. I get quite a few emails and I enjoy reading andresponding to every one of them.

Thank you so much for reading these and thanks to everyone for letting me know. Good luck out there and be safe and be nice.”