Colorado River Fishing Report: Stripers, Bass, Catfish, and More

This is Artificial Lure with your Colorado River-Las Vegas fishing report for Sunday, November 9, 2025. Sunrise hit the water this morning at 6:16 AM, painting the sky over the Big Bend and Willow Beach with that signature desert gold. The sunset will be at 4:36 PM, so you’ve got a solid window to get out and fish. According to DaculaWeather.com, today will be clear and sunny with highs around 69°F and barely a breeze—just 0 to 5 mph out of the east. The overnight low will slip down near 40, but daytime conditions are prime for November angling. The Colorado River around here isn’t tidal, but water releases from Davis Dam can create their own kind of “current windows.” Early morning remains best for most bite action, but those power releases in the afternoon can also spark activity. This past week, local chatter from guides and the latest Lake Mead Fishing Report podcast says the **striper bite** has held steady, despite drought conditions. Anglers near Willow Beach have been boating stripers—the bulk running 3 to 5 pounds, with an occasional 10-pounder mixed in, especially from kayaks in the early hours. A group fishing south of Cottonwood Cove reported landing their limit on Thursday using swimbaits. **Largemouth bass** action is picking up as the water cools. Fish are moving up to shallower rock piles and submerged brush. Ned rigs and wacky-rigged Senkos in green pumpkin have drawn solid strikes, especially along reeds in the backwaters. Spotted bass have been caught too, mostly on smaller finesse plastics. **Channel catfish** are consistent around coves and marina docks—nightcrawlers or cut bait fished on the bottom has been money. And don’t overlook the crappie—Willow Beach’s sheltered pockets gave up a stringer of slabs to a local angler using small jigs tipped with minnows, mostly in the afternoon. Best baits and lures right now: - For stripers: **Threadfin shad imitations**, white or chrome swimbaits (5–7"), and topwater walkers at daybreak. Cut anchovies still work well if you’re into soaking bait. - For largemouth: **Ned rigs**, **drop shots** with 3" shad pattern plastics, and spinnerbaits during windy spells. - Catfish: **Nightcrawlers**, **chicken liver**, or cut mackerel after sundown. - Crappie: **Tiny tube jigs or feathered crappie jigs**, always with a live minnow for best results. Hot spots worth checking: - **Willow Beach**: As always, the clear water and deep holes here stack up both stripers and trout. The inlet just above the marina is loaded with baitfish and prowling predators. - **Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area**: Walk out to the gravel bars at first light for bass and stripers. Current seams and submerged brush are holding the most fish. For sightseeing and a soak after fishing, kayak up to the sauna cave or the natural hot springs tucked in slot canyons below Hoover Dam, as noted on recent tour reviews. No major tournaments in the area this weekend, but plenty of local rods are hitting the wa This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.