Fish Reports

Anglers fishing from the dam and the south end of the reservoir are finding good action for trout. The crappie and bass bite has been sluggish, though crappie have been taking chartreuse jigs. Temperatures are still in the 40s overnight. Campsites are fully open.

Striped bass action is picking up along the Colorado River. Fish between 1-5 pounds are biting anchovies fished from both shore and boat. Anglers are reporting the most activity from the south end of Casino Row through Big Bend State Recreation Area. Black bass action is hit and miss. The bite is expected to pick up around the Laughlin Lagoon in the coming weeks.

The rainbow trout bite is hot along the shorelines of Willow Beach. Anglers are reporting fish weighing up to 4 pounds taking Kastmasters, Rooster Tails, and garlic-flavored PowerBait. On Lake Mohave, black bass anglers are finding the best action in the mornings. The fish are taking live minnows, jerkbaits, and soft plastics.

Black bass and bluegill are biting throughout Government Wash. Smallmouth bass are showing a preference for soft plastics, while largemouth are hitting a variety of hard plastics, including topwater lures. Catfish are hungry for anchovies and catches are being reported at all times of the day. Striped bass anglers are having moderate success using swimbaits and anchovies in the Boulder Basin and near Echo Bay.

Fly fishermen are catching trout and bass with Woolly Buggers in olive and black colorations. Night crawlers and marshmallows below a bobber are catching trout from shore. Crappies are starting to bite offshore. Pistol Pete’s and jigs caught a few crappie’s attention over the weekend. Bass are catch-and-release only until June 30.

The crappie bite is picking up. The fish are taking small jigs. Bass and trout are taking almost everything thrown at them. Rainbow trout will take olive Woolly Buggers, earthworms, and PowerBait. Water levels are steady with shore fishing limited by vegetation in a few spots.

Stripers are cruising the stretch of river from south Casino Row through Big Bend State Recreation Area. Fish larger than 5 pounds are hitting trolled anchovies. Some anglers are also reporting an increase in topwater activity when using pencil poppers. Black bass are attacking soft plastics in the shallows of Laughlin Lagoon.

Shoreline anglers at Willow Beach are finding rainbow trout in the 2-pound range just north of the fishing pier. Yellow, red, and chrome spinners are getting hits. On the south end of Lake Mohave, striped bass are chasing trout and shad swimbaits. The Cottonwood Basin is busy with black bass anglers from both shore and boat. Soft plastics finessed in the shallows are producing fish larger

Many anglers are waiting for reprieve from high winds. In the Boulder Basin, stripers, catfish, and black bass bites are steadily picking up. Anchovies are working well for both stripers and catfish, while a variety of plastics are producing black bass bites. Anglers in the Virgin Basin are attempting to zone in on schools of crappie. The fish are showing a preference for 2- or