Catfishing is very good on the lake and they are being caught anywhere from 8 feet to 30 feet deep on nightcrawlers and bream.

Crappie are still suspended in the treetops 8 to 25 feet deep, the depth fluctuates daily with the weather. 

Bream action is very good with crickets in 25 feet of water around boat docks. 

Bass fishing is good in the mornings and evenings with top-water lures. As the sun gets up, fish Texas-rigged worms and Carolina-rigged centipedes in 12 to 45 feet of water for all 3 species. 

Hybrid and White Bass continue to school all over the lake. Point 14, Salt Creek, The Rock pile Area, and The Narrows are the best spots to start. Black bass, smallmouth and Kentuckies are mixed in with them. You can catch them just about anywhere you find the shad on top-water baits, spoons, Rinky Dinks and in-line spinners.

Catfish No Report

Crappie No Report

Stripers No Report

Largemouth Bass No Report

White Bass No Report

ANGLER'S EDGE 3RD ANNUAL TEAM BASS TOURNAMENT

OCTOBER 15-16, 2005

Entry Fee $200.00 plus $20.00 Big Bass (100% payback - optional)

Each team will receive 2 Free Falcon Rods and a Free Buffet Dinner at Mario's

Entry forms can be picked up at Wilderness Trail - Entry fees can be paid at Wilderness Trail also

For more Information call us at 870-445-2703

What a week – can anyone remember the last time we saw temperatures in the 50’s? Well, it was May 12th and then again this last week when a front blew in and dropped 2" of rain, which changed the daytime temperatures into the 70’s and the night time temperatures into the upper 50’s. We have been so dry through the summer that the 2" of rain soaked right into the ground and didn’t flow into the lake. Lake level this week is 647.71, 6 ½ feet below normal pool. The thermocline has been dropping a little each week with the pool draw down. This week the thermocline is at 35 feet and steady. Lake temperature is finally out of the 80’s and into the 70’s, as of Sunday morning the surface temperature was 77.5 degrees. 

Crappie were spotty this week, one day they were on the brush piles and the next day they were suspended out in front of the brush piles. Crappie minnows still are the #1 bait to use, but crappie grubs and Swimming Minnows are also triggering a few.

Largemouth bass made a little movement towards the banks with the cool down but we are going to be back in the 90’s again this week so that move will be short lived. Work the banks in the middle of the pockets and creeks first thing in the morning with buzz baits, Zara Spooks or Sammy’s. After the sun hits the surface move to secondary points with jigs, Carolina rigs or Mojo rigs. 

Smallmouth bass are back to feeding on crawdads and are using chunk rock and pea rock points to feed on. The best bite is in the morning and again around 2 to 6 in the afternoon. Spider Jigs, tubes, Carolina rigging centipedes and football jigs are all producing some nice smallies. Kentucky bass disappeared the latter part of the week due to movement of shad into shallower water. 

The Kentucky's will find them in a day or day so continue looking for concentrations of shad in pockets off the main lake and cuts in the creek arms. With the cooler surface temperature we should see some top water frenzy feeding in the next day or two. Use Pop R’s, Chug Bugs and Spit’N Image baits during the top water feeding. Spoons are still the best lure to use on Kentuckys this time of year, they react to them even if they are not feeding.

Walleye are out in the thermocline around points and over the flooded forest. A number of anglers have been spooning vertically and catching quite a few nice walleye this week. Long liners have also been having some success pulling smaller baits with lead core line. A few baits that are working are Hot’N Tots, Wally Divers, Reef Runner Deep Little Rippers and #5 Glass Shad. Stay in 34 to 38 feet of water even on sunny hot days. As long as the walleyes food source is in the thermocline the walleye will stay there.

LAKE RATING: Although the weather pattern cooled things down the game fish have not really reacted to it and it is going to warm up again this week – Rating is fair.

Fishing for trout on the White River has been good on Berkley Power Eggs in yellow, white and pink. . With generation the Buoyant Spoons, Blue Fox and Little Cleo's are the bait of choice. The fly fishermen did well on olive Woolly Bugger, Zebra Midge and olive scuds and sow bugs. The Brown trout are being caught on Countdowns, Flat Fish and Rogues.

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 9/19/05 <º)))><{

Largemouth bass are good, 2-4 pounds each, & most energetic feeding periods remain early morning and late evening. Heddon Dying Flutters, white or firecracker buzz baits, Zoom Horney Toads in black, Turbo Shads, or Bass Assassin Shads in crystal shad or bubble gum colors, are all taking early morning keepers. Try working these in the pad edges along Little River. Jigs are beginning to take a few better fish in the last few days. Texas Craw color, black/blue/purple with Hog Craw trailers in pumpkinseed/chart claw or black are best colors. Most consistent bites remain on bases of cypress trees and knees, in approximately 7-10 feet depths. Berkley 10" Power Worms in red shad or blue fleck colors are taking keeper length bass along the river stair-step washouts where laydowns or stumps are present.

Crappie remain best early in the mornings, although the Crappie bite is shifting. Best this week on smoke colored grubs, 13 to 15 feet deep, in contact with planted brush piles and tops. The best bite has shifted and is 9am to 11am.

Channel (Blue) Catfish bite is good, using live shiners, cut shad, or chicken livers, on yo-yos under cypress trees in Mud Lake and McGuire Lake, and trot lines in Little River set at 15-20 feet depths. The best yo-yo bite remains at night on live shiners, in 9-14 feet depths.

White bass are still randomly schooling in Little River and are hitting 1/4 to 1/2 oz Rat-L-Traps in chrome, white, or chrome/chartreuse colors. In addition, white Chuck-n-Spins, white Rocket Shads and red beetle spins are working well around these schoolers. Good areas this week have been in Little River around White Cliffs, McGuire Lake, and AR Highway 71 landing. Once you find those schools of shad, the Whites are just below or adjacent to, the school on your graph. Throw Rat-L-Traps or Rocket Shads all around the edges of those bait schools, and count down to approx 10-15 feet depth and yo-yo back through the school at various depths until you connect with the White Bass.

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

For those fishing the river and below the spillway, as of Monday, September 19, the lake level is approx 1 inch above normal conservation pool. Current is decreased in Little River due to change discharge at the dam. The lake elevation is 259.33.

Release at the dam is approx 176CFS with 1 gate open at 0.5 feet. Open gate is number 1. Water clarity in the river is approx 20". Clarity on the main lake approx 15+". North eastern sector of the lake around OK Landing, improving stain. Saline River clarity improving.

The upriver oxbows such as McGuire, Horseshoe, Mud Lake, Cemetery Slough, etc, away from any current in Little River, still have much better water visibility, estimated at approx 3-5 feet in places. Water temperatures have decreased in the last week and range approx 78ºF early to 84ºF later in the day, depending on area of the lake and wind.

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!!