Fish Reports

Ice conditions remained unsafe this past week, with some areas opening up during the day, and refreezing overnight.  Fishing access is available by drilling holes in front of the fishing dock but stay on the dock to fish. The trout have been taking Powerbait in the usual orange or green colorations and nightcrawlers. For up to date ice conditions contact the park at 775-962-5102.  

Anchovies have proven productive for catfish and stripers.  Swim bait and Rat-L-trap lures are fooling stripers from Davis Dam to Casino Row.  PowerBait and spinners are working best for the stocked rainbow trout in the same areas.  

 Striper action is good. Reports of fish as large as 10 pounds are coming from anglers fishing around Cottonwood Marina, but the fish are biting up and down the reservoir as well. Shore fishing is good in the coves. Catfish have been biting for shore fishers in coves with drop-offs.  

Rainbow trout were planted last week into Floyd Lamb, Sunset, Veteran’s Memorial and Hafen Park ponds.  Trout will not be planted this week, but the hatchery expects to resume stocking the ponds the week of Christmas.

Striper fishing has been good on Lake Mead in the Overton Arm and Las Vegas Wash areas. The fish have been biting on anchovies and live shad. There are reports of fisherman with catches averaging five or more stripers throughout Boulder Basin. Anglers continue to catch black bass on drop shot rigs in deeper waters at the south end of the Overton Arm.

Fly fishing has still been best in the afternoon with a few blue winged olive mayfly (BWO) hatches happening mid day when the sky is over cast. It appears that the inversion layer that we have been experiencing the last few weeks has finally dissipated. This will bring extra heat into the river and get the fish more active in the late afternoons. We are

The lake is a mixture of open water and ice.  Most of the ice should be considered unsafe, though the north lake does have some areas of ice up to six inches thick.  It is highly variable so anglers should use extreme caution before venturing on the ice and test it as they go.  Some early ice fishing has produced fish averaging 16 to 20 inches.  The same presentations

Wildhorse is covered with four to five inches of ice as of Thursday, Dec. 13. However, as you get further from shore, the ice gets thinner, so don’t venture too far out just yet.  Anglers were catching 16 to 19 inch fish using a variety of presentations through the ice near the bridge by the highway. Worms, PowerBait and jigging were all working on Thursday. 

Anglers are catching rainbow trout on the north end of the state recreation area at Big Bend.  The fish are taking night crawlers, orange PowerBait or Kastmasters.  Anglers are catching both catfish and stripers while fishing with anchovies.  Striped bass also are hitting silver and orange spinners.  

Anglers are finding the best fishing from boats.  Pencil poppers and Rat-L-Traps in silver and blue are catching the attention of striped bass holding in deeper water.  If fishing from shore, you may want to find a cove with a drop off.  Smallmouth bass are hanging out in coves between Cottonwood Cove and Telephone Cove while catfish have been found in grass beds not far

The Nevada Department of Wildlife planted rainbow trout in the ponds at Floyd Lamb, Lorenzi, Veterans Memorial and Sunset Parks.  Hafen Park in Mesquite was added to the schedule for this week.  The fish are taking PowerBait, Power Eggs, night crawlers and mealworms, along with small spinning lures and spoons.  

Anglers are finding good fishing for striped bass.  Boaters are finding the best success with gizzard and threadfin shad.  Fish weighing as much as 13 pounds have been caught in 70 feet of water. Shore fishing is good for 1- to 3-pound stripers and catfish.  Anchovies are catching the fish, which are hanging out in coves and about 10-25 feet of water.