Southern Nevada Fish Reports

Bluegill and catfish are the go-to fish at the urban ponds. Mealworms are fooling the bluegill, with the best bite taking place in the early morning or late afternoon. Anglers have had fair success for catfish in the evenings using stink baits. Due to seasonally high temperatures, catfish will not be stocked during the month of July.  NDOW reminds anglers that the limit at all

Anglers are catching a mixed bag of stripers and black bass on plastics and crankbaits. Surface fishing has been good for stripers pursuing shad. There have been some limits of crappie coming out of the Overton Arm.

Trout are hitting night crawlers and sunset and orange PowerBaits in the mornings.  Most action throughout the day has slowed with warmer temperatures. Murky waters are making some of the popular spots on the lake difficult to fish. The bass are hitting worms and crankbait; anglers must catch and release bass through June 30th.

Black bass and crappie still hitting on a variety of lures, such as jigs and spinners. Fly fishers are casting a variety of olive flies and buggers. Trout action is good in the early morning before temperatures rise through the day.

The river is producing stripers in the casino area down to Big Bend State Park. Most stripers are around 1-2 pounds.  Along the bend anglers are finding black bass hitting plastics and spinnerbaits. Catfish are taking anchovies off the bottom in the Bend.

Anchovies are enticing stripers at Willow Beach fishing pier. Catfish are taking anchovies out of Willow Beach and Telephone Cove in the south end of the lake. Anglers fishing on the water out of Cottonwood are using various green plastics and spinnerbaits for black bass success.

With summer in full force, the fishing action has slowed during the hottest part of the day, but early morning still is looking good for bluegills and catfish. Catfish are taking hotdogs and stinkbaits. Bluegill are taking mealworms and nightcrawlers pieces. Please keep in mind if you are releasing fish to keep the fish in the water and wet as much as possible to avoid

Government Wash is producing stripers weighing around 2 pounds. Reports are they are hitting on anchovies and white poppers. Catfish are hitting in the evening on anchovies as well. Black Bass are hitting dark creature baits and crankbaits out of Callville. If one bait or method doesn’t work, try switching it up.

After being closed due to storm damage, roads to the state park have reopened. There are reports of anglers catching crappie with small jigs, mealworms and night crawlers. Bass are hitting on plastics, but keep in mind that catch-and-release regulations for bass are in effect until the end of June. Trout have been taking the usual baits, such as PowerBait, night crawlers and marshmallow combos.

Free Fishing Day was good, but there may still be a few tagged fish in the reservoir. Bait anglers are using night crawlers or PowerBait off the dam. The water level is still good but is slowly dropping. Aquatic vegetation has not yet become a problem.

Rainbow trout plants below Davis Dam have been stopped for the summer. The casino area has been good for both striped bass and trout. Fly-fishers are catching trout with caddisfly patterns. Anglers using anchovies are catching striped bass in the 1- to 3-pound range just above the Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area.

Lots of striped bass are coming out of the north and south ends of the reservoir. Boaters and shore anglers are catching the fish with anchovies. Black bass are active in coves associated with the Cottonwood Basin. The fish can be found in brushy areas of near underwater shelves. Stocked rainbow trout are taking Rooster Tails and worms at Willow Beach.

Striped bass action is good throughout the Boulder Basin. Anglers also are catching catfish in Government Wash and around the Hemenway fishing pier. If you are looking to use live bait, you will find schools of threadfin shad in the Las Vegas Bay area and outside of Echo Bay in the Overton Arm. Anglers are catching black bass in the Overton Arm with drop shot

Murky water conditions are still creating visibility issues for anglers. Spring runoff has filled the reservoir. Trout action has been best at sunrise and sunset. The fish are taking sunset-colored PowerBait and night crawlers. Action for bass and crappie has been picking up throughout the day. They are hitting olive and orange jigs.

Largemouth bass have been hitting crayfish imitations and plastic worms in darker colors. Green tube baits, bright jigs and night crawler pieces have brought in the crappie. Fishing is good throughout the morning hours but slows significantly in the afternoon.

Anglers have been reporting good striped bass and rainbow trout action below the dam. Trout are taking spinners and worms from shore. Most stripers are in the 2-pound range and taking anchovies off the bottom. Double-digit stripers are taking jointed crankbaits. Big Bend State Recreation Area is showing some catfish action with the fish taking nightcrawlers and anchovies. Largemouth bass are hitting spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

Stripers are biting on anchovies at Willow Beach. Anglers are catching the fish from the fishing pier as well from boats. Rainbow trout fishing is slow but keeping anglers busy. Striper fishing also is good above Davis Dam, and waters south of Cottonwood Basin are giving up catfish. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are going after dark-colored crankbaits and plastics north of Cottonwood Cove.

The Overton Arm continues to keep anglers busy with good fishing for black bass and crappie. Bass are taking plastic worms and crayfish near the mouths of coves with vegetation. Anglers fishing with anchovies are catching stringers full of stripers and catfish. Boaters and kayakers are fishing along drop offs for stripers.