Southern Nevada Fish Reports

Anglers have been venturing out on about 8 inches of ice and have found success dropping night crawlers and PowerBait. NDOW urges anglers to use extreme caution on the ice, to check weather conditions and always go prepared for weather changes. Contact Spring Valley State Park for current ice conditions

The reservoir is mostly covered in thin ice. There are some open sections, but it is not safe for ice fishing. Contact Echo Canyon State Park for current ice conditions.

Shore anglers are staying busy catching limits of rainbow trout. Trout jigs and mice tails in bright colors are working well. Anglers are throwing soft swimbaits 10-15 feet from shore to land stripers weighing more than 5 pounds.

Willow Beach anglers are seeing rainbow trout activity throughout the day. Boaters in the area are battling weeds and are finding the best fishing conditions south of the marina. Lake Mohave boaters are trolling swimbaits to tempt striped bass at the openings of coves near Davis Dam. Black bass are hitting both soft and jointed plastics near shore.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife planted rainbow trout in the valley ponds. The fish have been taking a variety of worms and spinners. The most popular baits are rainbow-colored PowerBait, night crawlers, mealworms, and mini marshmallows with a salmon egg.

Live shad, anchovies, and soft plastics are producing striper bites. Anglers are seeing schools cruising in about 30 to 40 feet of water. Reports of black bass action are coming in from Hemenway, Temple Bar, and the Overton Arm. Some anglers are experimenting with hard plastics in shad and bluegill patterns, while others are committed to soft plastics on Ned rigs. Crappie are biting tube

Rainbow trout were caught with night crawlers and PowerBait in rainbow, orange, or green colorations. Families have been seen fishing 20 feet out from shore. Ice has thickened for ice fishing. The center of the reservoir has not been tested. Park rangers still urge visitors to use extreme caution before walking on the ice. Spring Valley State Park received lots of snow recently, so travel

The ice around the reservoir's shoreline is thin. The birds have kept some portions of the lake clear, but not much. Ice is too thin to walk on. Open water covers the center of the lake. For up-to-date ice conditions, contact the park at 775-962-5103.

Striped bass in the one-to-three-pound range are taking anchovies along the shorelines of the Colorado River. Pencil Poppers and Glide Baits are taking hits from larger fish. Black bass are hiding in deep pockets. Some anglers are having luck tempting them with ChatterBaits and flashy spinners. Look for trout hiding in underwater vegetation and boulders, in small pools along the shoreline, or within other areas

Rainbow trout are hungry for trout jigs and grubs at Willow Beach. Striper action is hit and miss, but patient anglers are landing double-digit fish on trout-patterned swimbaits. On the lake, boaters are trolling jointed swimbaits and throwing Whopper Ploppers for a striped bass hookup. Black bass anglers are reporting success with deep-diving crankbaits and ChatterBaits in deeper coves.

NDOW has been stocking the urban ponds with rainbow trout since mid-November. The limit is three fish for urban ponds caught with a rod and reel. Best baits for the trout are night crawler pieces and PowerBait. Small fly patterns, such as Pheasant Tail and Hare’s Ear nymphs, are great on a fly rod or a couple of feet below a bobber. Also, a few

Ned rigs are the go-to setup for black bass in the Boulder Basin. Anglers are also reporting moderate success using brown and green jigs. Striper are chasing pearl-colored soft swimbaits. Crappie action is beginning to pick up in the Overton Arm. Crappie jigs and other styles of soft plastics in green and yellow are producing catches.