Millwood Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 259.46 feet MSL.
Millwood Lake Guide Service said Millwood Lake will be drawn down beginning July 13 to control unwanted vegetation and make scheduled repairs. The lake will be drawn to 255.2, 4 feet below normal pool, until February 2010. Boaters should exercise extreme caution because submerged stumps and shallow areas will begin to appear. Also, boaters should be cautious when launching because of damage or sediment buildup that may have occurred at the ends of the ramps. As of Monday, June 22, surface water temperature is in the lower 80s. Main lake clarity is around 6 to 10 inches. The discharge at the dam was 1,557 cubic feet per second. USACE campgrounds Paraloma Park and Beards Lake are closed for camping on Millwood due to recent lake rise and flooding conditions are being cleaned and repaired. Bass are in typical seasonal routines for summer. The best bite has been from daylight until 11 a.m. on weightless trick worms or wacky rigs in June bug, grasshopper, or kiwi colors, Bass Assassin Shad jerk baits and buzz baits, in the clearest water you can find. Fish around new lily pads, hydrilla or dollar pads. Rat-L-Traps in Millwood Magic, Bleeding White Shad, or Gold Tennessee Shad colors are working for a solid reaction bite in the better water clarity areas of the oxbows up Little River. Once the sun gets high, switch to a 10-inch worm in Black, Blue Fleck, Peanut Butter 'n Jelly, or Plum, pitching or flipping stumps, cypress trees, and laydown tree trunks near deep water. White Bass continue holding deep in Little River drops and wash-outs in 18-25 feet of water. They’re slow to fair on jigging spoons. Crappie are fair on live shiners and chart/white tube jigs fished around cypress trees in 17 to 25 feet of water near Little River or deep creek channels. Channel catfish continue to bite well on cut shad and chicken livers on yo-yos hung from cypress trees in the oxbows over 8-12 foot depths, and on trotlines in Little River.
White Oak Lake: Local angler John Tilley said the hot weather has really put a damper on fishing. Bass fishing has been slow with very few reports of good catches. Bream have also slowed with only small numbers being reported. A few still remain on the beds but smaller bream have moved into the beds now that the larger males have been caught. Fish a little deeper water near the beds for better size bream. Catfishing is also spotty with a few being caught on jugs and trotlines using live bait. Best times for any fishing has been early morning and late afternoon right at sundown.
Lake Greeson: Darryl Morris of Family Fishing Trips Guide Service said the lake is stable and warm, with 89-degree surface temperature. Crappie are still good to excellent in the northern reaches of the lake on live bait. Almost all fish seen in the depth finders has been north of Chimney Rock.
DeGray Lake: As of Tuesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reports the lake’s elevation at 404.74 feet MSL.
Local angler George Graves said the surface water temperature is in the high 80s and the water is clear. Hybrid fishing has been good. Good reports are coming from all along the south side of the state park, from DeRoche Ridge to Caddo Bend. Also in Spillway Bay and the dam. The best fishing is from first light to about 7:30 a.m. Look for breaking fish on points. The main school is about 20 to 30 feet deep. Large inline spinners and spoons are working well. Let the lure sink below the fish, then bring it back up through the school. Bass fishing is fair with a few reports coming from main lake points. Once again, fish early in the morning. By 8 a.m. the action is pretty much over. There are a lot of breaking fish around daylight. Try to hit the spot with a swimbait or Fluke. Crappies are fair in brush piles in 20 to 25 feet. The best area is in the Caddo Bend-Arlie Moore part of the lake. Use a 2-inch Tennessee Shad-colored grub or minnows. Bream fishing remains good throughout the lake. Try just about any shallow point with a little cover, in 5 to 10 feet of water.
