Southern Nevada Fish Reports

The striper bite is best at sunrise when they are feeding on shad.  Imitation shad and minnow swimbaits work well during this time, though live shad are generally the most productive bait. Anglers are still catching catfish, some as large as 6 pounds, on anchovies in the Hemenway Harbor area.  With cloudy days and chances of rain in the forecast, expect some variations in fishing

Overnight temperatures are dropping below freezing, but trout action has been good overall. Rainbow and tiger trout are taking a variety of spinning lures and spoons. Bait anglers have been doing well from the fishing dock and the dam using the usual PowerBait in rainbow, green or orange colorations, as well as a chunk of night crawler combined with a mini marshmallow.

Freezing overnight temperatures are creating icy conditions early in the morning along the shoreline, so please use caution along the dam. Rainbow trout action has been very good. Anglers, fishing from boat or floatables, are having the best action. Water levels continue to rise, making fishing along the dam even better. The fish are taking PowerBait in rainbow, orange or green colorations, as well as

Anglers are landing stripers with anchovies from Davis Dam down through Casino Row. Trout are hiding under docks and in areas with thick vegetation above Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area. Spinners, such as Rooster Tails or Panther Martins, are working well in addition to night crawlers.  The Big Bend area has also given up a few catfish. They are taking anchovies.

Anglers are bringing in black bass on plastics or silver or white swimbaits in coves above Cottonwood Cove. Stripers are taking anchovies and deep diving lures between Willow Beach and Cottonwood Marina. The rainbow trout is slow, but some fish are biting on gold and silver Rooster Tails.

Fishing action is steady for bass and catfish. The bass are hitting on plastics in the back ponds at Floyd Lamb. Catfish are biting on night crawlers. Water temperatures have remained low enough that the Nevada Department of Wildlife is hoping to start seasonal trout plants this week. Stocked rainbows love night crawler pieces and PowerBait.

Smallmouth and largemouth bass are hitting swimbaits in variations of silver and white in the coves west of Callville Bay. The Boulder Island and Las Vegas Bay areas are producing stripers but mostly in the 1- to 2-pound range.  Catfish are hitting on anchovies by the Hemenway fishing pier. Many are around 3 pounds.

 Rainbow trout action has been very good, but the best fishing has been found by those using boats or floatables to get away from the shoreline. Water levels continue to rise and that has anglers finding the best action along the dam. The fish are taking PowerBait in rainbow, orange or green colorations, as well as spinners.

Anglers are catching limits of striped bass near the south end of Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area. From shore or boat, striper fishing is good from below Davis Dam past Casino Row. Rainbow trout are hitting PowerBait, worms and Rooster Tails.

Anglers are using Rooster Tails to limit out on stocked rainbow trout at Willow Beach. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are biting on light-colored crankbaits and jointed swimbaits throughout Cottonwood Basin. Stripers are hitting shad imitations at the mouths of coves north of Davis Dam and intermittently outside of Willow Beach Marina.

Anglers have found good fishing for catfish at Veteran’s Memorial, Sunset, and Floyd Lamb parks. The fish have been taking night crawlers and hot dog pieces. The Nevada Department of Wildlife hopes to begin rainbow trout stockings for the Urban Ponds just before Thanksgiving. Before that can happen, however, the water temperature in the ponds needs to be steadily below 60 degrees.

Striped bass are biting anchovies outside of Hemenway Harbor and Callville Bay Marina. Anglers are fishing from the shore and boats in depths of 50 to 60 feet. Most of the fish are in the 2- to 3-pound range. Anglers are still bringing in largemouth bass on plastics and shad imitations in coves that have good shoreline vegetation.

Rainbow and tiger trout action has been good following recent trout plants. The fish are taking sparkle varieties of PowerBait and night crawlers. They are also taking spinners with yellow and red dots, as well as spoons. Bass and crappie fishing seem to be done for the year.

NDOW recently stocked the reservoir with 500 pounds of rainbow trout. Anglers have been successful using night crawlers and white or sparkle PowerBait varieties.  Fishing is good from the dam and shorelines clear of aquatic vegetation.

Shore anglers are having the most success for striped bass below Big Bend. Trout action is expected to pick up following the recent fish plants below Davis Dam and near the Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area. Fly-fishing with an Elk Hair Caddis or throwing a Rooster Tail on a spinning rod are great options for catching the rainbows. Stripers from 1 to

Striped bass action is steady from Cottonwood Cove to Willow Beach. The fish are hitting on swimbaits and anchovies. Anglers are finding good fishing for stocked rainbow trout following weekly fish plants at Willow Beach. PowerBait and night crawlers will catch the fish. Smallmouth bass are hitting jigs and dark plastics above Davis Dam and near Cottonwood Cove.

With nighttime temperatures dropping into the 30s, the bluegill and bass bites are slow. The best chance for catching bluegill and bass is when the afternoon sun warms up the ponds. The last catfish plant of the season is slated for this week for Floyd Lamb, Sunset, Lorenzi, and Veterans’ Memorial Park ponds. Hafen Park pond in Mesquite is under repair, so it did not

Cooler mornings and lower daytime temperatures are providing great fishing opportunities for bass. Black bass and striped bass are hitting swimbaits and anchovies from shore. From the boat anglers are catching stripers by trolling swimbaits in the early morning and jigging in the afternoon. Both catfish and stripers are hitting anchovies fished off the bottom in the Overton Arm and Government Wash areas.