Autumn Bites on the Colorado River Las Vegas

Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River Las Vegas fishing report for Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Fall’s in full swing along the river, and if you’re on the hunt for stripers, largemouth, or channel cats, you’re in for a treat. The weather is classic desert autumn—clear skies this morning with temps starting in the mid-50s, rising to the low 80s by midday. The winds are light early but could pick up to about 10 mph by mid-afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, sunrise hit at 6:51 AM and sunset’s coming at 5:47 PM. Water levels are steady, holding well despite the ongoing drought; clarity’s decent, but recent rains earlier this month bumped up flows a bit, stirring up some color in the backwaters—good for ambush strikes. There’s no true tidal action this far from the coast, but with overnight flows settling down, you’ll find the fish most active on a warming trend just after sunrise and again before sunset, especially in shallower coves and near current breaks. Recent catches have been solid, especially around Willow Beach and up through Cottonwood Cove. Anglers are reporting decent numbers of stripers this week—most in the 2 to 5 pound range, with a couple of double-digit fish landed right at daybreak with surface boils popping off in the first light. Largemouth and smallmouth action has slowed but remains consistent near submerged structure and along rocky points—look for chunky 1 to 3 pounders. If you’re after catfish, nighttime fishing near coves or sandy flats below the dams is still producing steady eaters, with some channel cats topping 6 pounds. Best bait and lure report: stripers are keying in on shad so toss swimbaits, white or pearl flukes, or topwater spooks early. Willow Beach regulars swear by trolled AC Plugs and long-cast Kastmasters if the wind’s down. For largemouth and smallmouth, finesse is the name of the game—Ned rigs and drop shot rigs with natural-colored worms are putting fish in the boat when worked slow along edges and drop-offs. Don’t overlook a trusty jig or a chartreuse spinnerbait if water’s a bit dingy from runoff. If you’re after cats, might as well cut up some anchovies or use chicken liver on a slip sinker—he’s still king bait along the sandy bottoms after dark. Hot spots worth checking: Emerald Cave is a local favorite for both the fishing action and the scenery. The mouth of Las Vegas Wash, just where it dumps into the big river, is holding stripers and the occasional walleye if you get lucky. Up by Lake Mead National Recreation Area, fish tight in the mornings around submerged brush and boulder points for bass. Willow Beach itself is always a strong bet, especially for big predator stripers cruising in from the depths. Overall, fish activity is moderate—definitely not a feed-fest, but persistence pays off, especially if you move with the sun and follow bait schools. Downsizing your presentation and working a little slower is the ticket for most species now that nights are cooling off. K This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.