Major access expansion complete at Millwood Lake

July 26, 2023

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

ASHDOWN — Anglers visiting Millwood Lake in Southwest Arkansas now have a fresh new facility to launch their boats, thanks to the completion of the first phase of planned improvements at Yarborough Landing in Little River County.

The cooperative effort by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Little River County and the Army Corps of Engineers, involved an expansion and repaving of the parking area at this popular boating access. The new parking area is nearly 164,000 square feet and cost roughly $711,000, including site work, drainage and construction.

According to Dylan Hann, Fisheries Supervisor at the AGFC’s Hope Regional Office, the project included about $275,000 in Marine Fuel Tax money and the remainder came from capital improvement funds at the AGFC.

The Marine Fuel Tax Program was created in 1970 in cooperation with ArDOT and AGFC to collect a portion of taxes on gasoline purchases devoted to boats and devote those funds toward public access on Arkansas’s waterways. More than $65 million from this program has been used to develop access to angling and boating opportunities throughout Arkansas since its inception. Thanks to a modernization of the program completed in 2022 by AGFC and ArDOT, the program has been able to provide additional benefits to Arkansans, such as this much needed improvement to one of Arknasas’s best fishing destinations.

The parking area now accommodates 138 vehicles with trailers, plus an additional 11 vehicles without trailers to provide bank anglers as well as anglers who are meeting their fishing partner at the ramp.

“The best part is that the new parking area doesn’t take up much more room than the original footprint of the access point,” Hann said. “It was a much needed improvement that many anglers will appreciate.”

Hann says details about the second phase of the renovation are being worked out but he hopes that portion of the project will begin within the next few months.

“Phase two includes a large courtesy dock to aid with launching and loading boats and a lighting system to offer added security and safety for anglers using the facility at night and during low-light hours,” Hann said. “We are very excited about this opportunity to invest in our southwest Arkansas communities, and hope there are even greater things to come to Millwood Lake in the future.”

CUTLINES:

LARGE PARKING AREA
The recent $711,000 parking improvement at Millwood Lake accommodates 138 vehicles with trailers and 11 single vehicles. Photo by Dylan Hann.

SMALL PARKING AREA
The previous parking area at Yarborough Landing handled only a few dozen trucks with boats before people had to park in fields and overflow areas. Photo by Dylan Hann.

YOUNG ANGLER WITH BASS
Angler Benjamin Hann displays one of the massive Florida bass that attract many tournaments and anglers to Millwood Lake. Photo by Dylan Hann.

ANGLER WITH CRAPPIE
Millwood Lake in Southwest Arkansas is home to some of the best crappie fishing in the state. Photo courtesy of Griffin Park