Southern Nevada Fish Reports

There is no planned trout plant this week at the Las Vegas area urban fishing ponds, but fish were stocked Feb. 7 at Floyd Lamb, Lorenzi, Veterans Memorial and Hafen Parks.  Rainbows are taking PowerBait in a variety of colors, such as rainbow, pink, yellow or orange, as well as night crawler chunks.  

Live shad and cut anchovies are bringing in stripers weighing from 1 to 3 pounds between Hemenway Pier and Government Wash. Jointed silver swimbaits are great substitutes for live shad. Anglers fishing from boats are finding stripers at depths of about 80 feet outside of Government Wash. Always use caution if wind advisories are issued.  

Water beneath the ice remains murky but is starting to clear up.  That is improving the catch rate for anglers using night crawlers combined with a bit of mini-marshmallow.  Anglers using PowerBait in orange or green also are doing well through the ice.  The ice is now measuring between 5 and 7 inches over most of the lake with the thickest ice still being found

Cold overnight temperatures have frozen most of the reservoir, leaving only a small open spot in the center.  The thickest ice is still being found along the front of the dam, but park rangers are urging anglers to use extreme caution when venturing onto the ice.  Fishing pressure has been light.  For up-to-date ice conditions contact Echo Canyon State Park at 775-962-5103.  

One angler brought in an 8-pound striper while fishing from his boat above Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area.  He was using a shad swimbait.  Anchovies are a top bait for this stretch of the river as well, bringing in both striped bass and catfish.  Rainbow trout are slow to bite, but persistent anglers are bringing them in using PowerBait and spinners.

Anglers are reporting good fishing for catfish at Willow Beach. The best time has been after dusk. Jointed swimbaits in shad patterns are catching stripers at the south end of Cottonwood basin while pencil poopers are fooling the fish around Telephone Cove. There are no reports about black bass or catfish.  

NDOW stocking plans call for a rainbow trout plant again this week at Floyd Lamb and Sunset parks, and Veterans Memorial park in Boulder City.  The fish have been taking PowerBait, mealworms, and night crawlers, as well as small spinning lures and spoons.  

Reports are slow in coming from the reservoir.  While the shad have been less than cooperative, they are the bait catching striped bass.  Anglers are finding stripers at depths of 65 to 80 feet, with most weighing in at about 2 to 4 pounds.  This weekend weather forecast calls for rain.  So, go prepared for the possibilities, and don’t forget to double check the weather

Recent storm activity flooded the access road into Spring Valley State Park, resulting a brief closure. The road is now open, and anglers have been venturing onto the ice.  The water is murky, but some fishermen are finding success using night crawlers and PowerBait.  The best ice conditions can be found on the north side of the lake where it is thickest.  The Nevada Department

The water is murky and has risen approximately 12 feet following the recent storm activity and flooding in the area. The reservoir is mostly open water with thin ice around the edges. For current ice conditions call Echo Canyon State Park at 775-962-5103.  

The north end of Big Bend has been good for stripers and trout hiding in deep coves.  One lucky angler reportedly reeled in a 13-pound striper using anchovies.  Fishing off the bottom has proven effective whether from a boat or the shoreline.  Stocked rainbow trout have been seen along casino row where they are biting on night crawlers and rainbow PowerBait.  

According to reports, anglers are catching stripers weighing in at 1 to 3 pounds from the fishing pier at Willow Beach.  The fish are taking anchovies.  The story is much the same at the south end of the reservoir, where anglers are catching similar-sized stripers while fishing off the bottom at Telephone Cove. In between, largemouth and smallmouth bass are hitting at the south end

 Stripers are hiding in the brush along shelves in coves of the Boulder Basin.  Government Wash has been good for threadfin and gizzard shad, the primary forage fish in the reservoir.  Catfish have been active and biting on anchovies fished along shelves.  Action for black bass and sunfish has been slow.  However, there are reports that a kayaker fishing near the bottom of the Overton