Colorado River and Lake Mead Fishing Report for November 18, 2025

Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River and Las Vegas-area fishing report for Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. Sunrise splashed the shoreline at 6:23 AM this morning and we’re set for sunset at 4:33 PM, so you’re looking at a tidy window for prime action today. We’re still in a long, warm, dry fall, though it’s cooling in the evenings—expect clear skies, a crisp start in the upper 40s, topping out near 70°F by midafternoon. Winds will stay light, maybe a bit breezy closer to midday, but nothing that should mess with your casting arm. Tidal swings and traditional tide charts aren’t much of a factor directly on Lake Mead and the main river stretch here, but FishinReminder calls out your best bite windows today as 3:10-5:10 AM and 3:34-5:34 PM for majors, and a solid midday minor 10:58 AM-12:58 PM. That overlap around dusk is always a killer time to be on the water, especially if you can catch that golden hour on a point or near deep structure. Lake Mead and the lower Colorado are the go-tos: Lake Mead Marina and Government Wash keep popping up as hot spots. Las Vegas Bay and Boulder Harbor are seeing steady pressure but still coughing up quality fish, especially for those willing to put in the miles along the shoreline or launch out at first light. Don’t neglect Vegas Creek early if you want to stay closer to town—local reports say smaller largemouth and sunfish are active there after sunrise, perfect if you want fast action. This past week, striper fishing on Mead has been bang-on. According to the folks at the Lake Mead, Nevada Fishing Report Today podcast, schoolie stripers are smashing anchovies and shad-imitator swimbaits near Hemenway Harbor and Boulder Basin, with some larger models caught chunking cut bait just off the bottom. Best results are coming to those vertical jigging spoons or slow-rolling a white or chartreuse paddle-tail. The biggest fish lately have come early, so don’t sleep in. Bass anglers are doing well on smallmouths along rocky points and drop-offs, especially where the wind is pushing bait. Drop shot rigs with natural soft plastics are the local favorite—think Roboworms in morning dawn or shad colors. Ned rigs and tube baits are also producing, particularly mid-morning into the early afternoon minor window. Largemouths have been more scattered but take a look in the backs of shallow coves as the day warms up, especially if you see shad flipping. Catfish are in tight at dusk—anywhere there’s a bit of current or rip-rap, try stink bait or cut mackerel off the bottom after dark. A few channel cats over five pounds have been reported at night near Boulder Beach. Crappie catches have been modest but improving, found suspended over brush piles; chartreuse jigs or small minnows under a slip bobber are proven money. And don’t forget those bonus bluegill on mealworms near submerged wood, especially out at Twin Lakes and Duck Creek. Hot lure picks for this week: • White or chartreuse paddle-tail swimbaits for stripers This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.