Colorado River Bounty: Las Vegas Angling Update 09/13/2025

Artificial Lure here with your boots-on-the-ground fishing report for the Colorado River near Las Vegas, Saturday, September 13, 2025. Despite September’s warm grip, the river’s alive with action, and anglers locals and visitors alike are cashing in. Sunrise hit at 6:25AM, with sunset rolling in about 6:52PM. Temps are already climbing at dawn—expect highs to reach the upper 90s by midday. The wind’s predicted to be mild early, picking up a little as the desert heats up, so it should stay fishable through late morning. Skies are mostly sunny with just enough patchy clouds to keep things interesting—perfect for topwater in the morning and working shaded structure as the sun rises. Let’s talk water activity. According to Nevada Fish Reports, this is the best fishing window of the year, and the fall transition is starting to buzz. Water’s still flowing steady, and clarity is good. Stripers are schooling up, especially around dawn and dusk. Both locals and tournament pros reported big bags from the Lake Mead WON Bass Open last week, including a monster 8-pound largemouth. The big bass was caught shallow on a Power Shot Rig with a 6-inch Roboworm Fuego worm; so finesse plastics in fiery colors and drop shots are dynamite right now. Smallmouth, largemouth, and stripers are the primary catch. Catfish are biting along deeper holes and quiet coves, with chicken liver and stink bait doing the job overnight. The best artificial lures this week are shad-imitating crankbaits, swimbaits, and jerkbaits at first light, with anglers switching to soft plastics—think Senkos, Roboworms, and curly tail grubs—as the sun gets higher. Don’t overlook topwater poppers around submerged brush before 8AM, especially in Willow Beach and around the points near South Cove. For live bait, anchovies and nightcrawlers out-produce all else for striper and catfish. Major hot spots this week: - **Willow Beach:** Early risers are boating limits of stripers casting out in the cooler water before the sun gets up. - **South Cove:** Reliable for mixed bags—stripers, cats, and some feisty largemouth action, especially near submerged cover and rocky shelves. If you’re planning to fish the backwaters and side channels, seek out structure: rocky bluffs, fallen timber, or even manmade debris. The bass are holding deep mid-day, moving shallow at dusk. Stripes are chasing bait along seams and current breaks—look for diving birds! Water levels have held steady, but as always out here in the desert, be on the lookout for fluctuations. Recent conservation efforts have kept the river healthy for now, but keep an eye on conditions as fall approaches, especially if you’re launching from upriver. If you’re chasing numbers, bring plenty of hydration and sunscreen—and don’t skip the fluorocarbon leaders. Clear water makes these old river fish spooky mid-day. That covers your Colorado River Las Vegas fishing report for today. Appreciate y’all tuning in—remember to hit subscribe for the real-time This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.