Catfish No Report

Crappie No Report

Stripers No Report

Largemouth Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

This last week started out with summer temperatures in the 80’s but by mid-week spring came back and temperatures ranged from mid-70’s during the day to upper 50’s at night. Lake temperature jumped to 78 degrees then at mid-week we had some wind, which mixed the layers and now the lake average temperature is 75.2 degrees. Lake clarity is around 14 feet this week with some stained water up in the Theodosia arm and in the Horseshoe Bend area. Lake level has stayed steady throughout the week. We are at 653.59, ½ foot below normal pool. White Bass unfortunately had a bad spawn this year, although they are still very aggressive in the back of the creeks and main lake pockets, that is where the shad are located. Early in the morning, just before dark and on cloudy days look for Whites pushing shad to the top. Pop R’s and Chug Bugs will trigger some strikes when frenzy feeding is in progress. Crappie are still in spawn and post spawn phases. Bull Shoals Boat Dock guides are catching nice stringers of crappie on points and inside brush piles on crappie minnows in 8 to 12 feet of water. Swimming Minnows are also working well in Blue Thunder and Smoke colors.

Largemouth bass are active in the mornings feeding on shad in the back of main lake pockets and the back of the creeks. Buzz baits, Zara Spooks, Flukes and jerk baits are all producing some nice largemouth. Docks, blow downs and secondary points or watersheds are holding the largemouth during the day. Spider Jigs, Carolina rigs with centipedes or brush hogs and tube baits are triggering the largemouth during the daylight hours. 

Smallmouth bass are still holding off the deep side of pea rock points throughout the lake. They are moving up onto the points to feed in the mornings and late afternoon. Tube baits in cinnamon purple and apple seed colors are working well. Mojo rigs with centipedes or Fish Doctors and finesse worms are also catching some nice smallies. 

Kentucky bass have gone deep with the bright sun this week. There is some frenzy top water feeding just before sundown but it is one of those deals where you have to be in the right place at the right time to cash in. Best bet is to fish Carolina rigs in 30 to 35 feet of water with centipedes around chunk rock points and channel swings.

Walleye are still very shallow holding around "do nothing" points and on transition banks. Early morning walleye are reacting to Glass Shad and Shad Raps cast to the banks. By mid-morning they are moving out to 18 to 20 feet of water. The hot technique and bait have been leeches this last week. That’s right – leeches. A hook, a split shot and leech tossed up into 12 feet of water or so and pulled back to the boat. Crawler harnesses will also work behind a bottom bouncer. Best combination is a Blue Smile blade with blue and orange beads and an orange and chartreuse float.

LAKE RATING: Crappie (good); Bass (good); Walleye (great). Overall rating – Good Plus.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good this past week. Generation again has been low so the Berkley Power Egg bite has been good in yellow, white and pink, or Berkley Nuggets in Rainbow or Orange. With generation the Mepp’s spinners, Buoyant Spoons, and Rooster Tails are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on Olive Woolly Bugger, tungsten bead head midges, sow bugs and soft hackles. The Brown trout are being caught on Flat Fish, Suspending Rogues and nightcrawlers.

Remember to keep only what you can eat and release the rest for another day. Rick Culver of Wilderness Trail does the research for this report and the writing of this report.

}><(((º> Millwood Lake Fishing Report 5/30/05 <º)))><{

Water temps 70º-81º ; 2.25 inches above normal, rising, normal stain & river visibility at 10-12" as of Monday 5/30/05.

Largemouth Bass remain good on Buzz Baits in bubble gum skirt color or bleeding white with chartreuse. Spitin' Images in gizzard shad, War Eagle Spinner baits in firecracker colors, Rat-L-Traps in spring bream and red chrome colors, and Bass Assassins in baby bass or salt n' pepper, are all catching solid 2-5 pound Largemouth Bass. Jigs in Texas craw color or black/blue with Berkley power craw trailers in pumpkin or black, are taking 3-4 pound bass on cypress knees- approx 6 feet depth areas close to deep creek channels and 6-10 feet away from base of tree. In addition, Black bass remain good on Carolina rigged Zoom lizards in pumpkinseed/chart tail, or watermelon red, and Bass Assassin Shads, along Little River. Bass continue feasting and running shad near top water, early and late periods of the day, on shallow flats next to deep water.

Spotted Bass remain stacked up in the mouths of creeks to Snake Creek, Pugh Slough, and Jack's Isle creeks, and are hitting the smaller 1/4oz Rat-L-Traps in white, or white and chartreuse rocket shads.

Crappie have transitioned back to deeper water, post spawn also. Crappie fishermen report fair catches in brush piles 13-17 feet depths. Few catches in shallow water around cypress trees in last week between 4-5 feet deep on jigs, but fish in those locations are smaller.

Bream remain in spawn mode, in the same shallow water areas around cypress as the Crappie were several weeks ago.

Spotted Gar and very large Carp remain in shallow water areas of 2-5 feet, in back of Horseshoe Lake, McGuire, Mud Lake, Little River flats next to Hurricane Creek, and other oxbows of Little River in the last week. Several huge gar and carp, up to 10 or 20 pounds each, have been noted extremely shallow, and are spawning. This is an excellent time for bow fishermen to take some nice size Gar and Carp OUT of Millwood!!!

Blue (Channel) Catfish are fair to good, up to 6 and 8 lbs each, on trot lines, in Little River using cut shad in 14-17 feet depth areas. Yo-Yos are taking good blue catfish up to 7 lbs each, at night, underneath cypress trees in sloughs adjacent to Little River, Horseshoe Lake and in Mud Lake oxbow areas, in 7-12 feet depths using chicken livers, prepared dough baits, and cut bait.

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

Thank you to the US Army Corps of Engineers and AG&FC personnel who are currently in process of evaluating the increase and spread of various vegetation species on Little River and Millwood Lake. A recommendation & report is pending, on potential control measures which would be the most physical effective manner of the vegetation growth explosion in all the creeks, oxbows, Little River and the main lake; as well as which methods could be the most cost effective to maintain.

Use EXTREME caution navigating Little River in low light conditions, and SLOW DOWN! Careful watch for floaters and debris in Little River's current, and wearing your PFD is a requirement!!

For those fishing the river and below the spillway, as of Monday, May 30, the lake level has risen approx 1" from this week's rain. Currently, the lake is approx 2 inches above normal conservation pool, rising, current is slightly increased in Little River. The lake elevation is 259.39. Release at the dam is 778CFS with only one gate open 0.5 feet. Water clarity in the river is approx 10". Clarity on the main lake approx 5-10". North eastern sector of the lake around OK Landing, Shaw Branch and Mine Creek has moderate, but improving stain. Saline River clarity improving to 5-8". Creeks and sloughs of Little River are beginning to clear.

The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Cemetery Slough, etc, away from the current in Little River still have much better water visibility, estimated at approx 4-6 feet in places. Water temperatures have increased in the last 2 weeks due to warmer ambient temperatures, and range approx 70ºF early to 83ºF later in the day, depending on area of the lake, wind, and sunlight penetrations.

Millwood Guide Service and all the Millwood anglers, would like to take this opportunity to thank the US Army Corps of Engineers for their dedication to continual improvement in the navigability and maintenance of Millwood Lake, continually fighting mother nature and the rising and falling level due to influx of run off from area lakes and rivers, and rain.

Don't forget, be safe, 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, wear your Life Preserver and SUNSCREEN! If you are suddenly thrown from your boat, or knocked unconscious, your life preserver can potentially be your only hope to survive, so PUT IT ON!