Colorado River Below Hoover Dam: Early Summer Striper and Trout Bite

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River Las Vegas fishing report, coming to you from the stretch below Hoover Dam down toward Willow Beach and Cottonwood Cove. First thing: this isn’t tidal water, so no saltwater tide swings here. What matters on this river is **dam release and flow**. When they’re pushing more water out of Hoover Dam, current picks up, water cools a touch, and predator fish like striped bass and big rainbows switch on. When flows are low and slow, expect a tougher bite and spookier fish. Weather along the river corridor today is seasonably hot and dry, with afternoon highs well into the 90s and creeping toward triple digits, light winds early, building breeze in the afternoon. Skies mostly clear. That means a solid **low‑light bite** and a sluggish midday window. Plan to fish early and late, and respect the heat: sun protection, plenty of water, and don’t push it in those canyon stretches. Sunrise is just after 5 a.m. local, with sunset a little after 8 p.m., giving you a long day but a relatively short “prime time” — roughly first three hours after sunrise and last two before dark. Midday, you’re better off going deep or going home for a nap. Fish activity has been classic early‑summer river pattern. Up around Willow Beach, the stocking trucks have kept **rainbow trout** moving, and those fresh planters are drawing in bigger **striped bass**. Anglers this past week have reported good numbers of 10–14 inch trout on light gear, plus the occasional surprise striper in the 5–10 pound class shadowing the schools. Down toward Cottonwood Cove and the wider, slower pools, it’s more of a **striper and catfish** game, with a few panfish and smallmouth mixed in around rocky points and marina structure. For **numbers of trout**, small inline spinners, 1/8‑ounce Kastmasters, and tiny spoons in silver, gold, or rainbow patterns are still hard to beat. Light fluorocarbon, 4–6 lb, and a slow, steady retrieve in that greenish‑blue water does the trick. Drifted nightcrawlers or PowerBait off the bottom will keep beginners and kids busy. For **striped bass**, focus on low light or current changes. Up‑river, larger swimbaits and trout‑pattern glidebaits are still king if you’re hunting a trophy that’s been chasing stockers. Otherwise, downsized soft plastics on 3/8‑ to 1/2‑ounce jigheads, white or shad colors, will put keepers in the boat. Anchovies and sardines on a sliding sinker rig remain the standard bait approach, especially in the broader, slower stretches toward Laughlin. **Best bait** right now: - For trout: nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and PowerBait in chartreuse or rainbow. - For stripers: frozen anchovy, sardine chunks, or live shad if you can find them. - For catfish: chicken liver, stink bait, and cut shad after dark along deeper outside bends. A couple of **local hot spots** to circle on your map: First, **Willow Beach area** below Hoover Dam. Cool, clear water, regular trout stockings, and plenty of deep ledges. Work the shade lines along the canyon walls. Toss spinners and spoons for trout, then slow roll big swimbaits or run live or cut bait deeper for stripers holding off the breaks. Second, **Cottonwood Cove and the nearby coves and points**. Target early‑morning boils or subtle surface dimples with topwaters and small walking baits for stripers and bass. As the sun gets up, switch to deeper presentations: jigging spoons and drop‑shot worms off rocky structure where the depth falls quickly from 10 to 30 feet. After dark, slide in with heavier gear and bait rigs for channel cats cruising the flats and edges. One more local tip: keep an eye on boat traffic and dam release schedules when you can get them. A bump in flow can flip the switch even in the middle of the day, especially for stripers that use that current to pin bait against points and eddies. When you see the water level rising and the current speeding up, pick up your heavier jigs and reaction baits and get to work. That’s the river rundown from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn