Colorado River Fishing Report: Stripers, Trout, and More in Fall Frenzy

This is Artificial Lure coming to you live with your Thursday, October 23rd, 2025 fishing report for the Colorado River around Las Vegas. We’re just coming off a stretch of historic autumn rain and river surges, thanks to a Pacific storm that rolled through the southwest mid-October. The result? Flows on the Colorado are well above what we’d expect this time of year, and area reservoirs are showing increased storage. La Niña gave us a late burst – and the river’s running strong, cool, and a little bit stained. Water clarity is moderate but improving as things settle from those rains, which means both bait and lures are getting solid attention in the slightly murky conditions. According to the Colorado Division of Water Resources, the Rio Grande (a Colorado River tributary) saw some of the highest October flows on record, a rare boost that’s set the tone for fall fishing on our local stretches as well. It’s a crisp desert start this morning: expect air temps in the upper 50s at sunrise, reaching low 70s by mid-afternoon with plenty of Southwest sun overhead and light breezes picking up late in the day. The sunrise cracked around 6:53 am, and we’re looking at sunset just after 5:54 pm. There’s hardly any tidal swing to speak of in these upper river reaches, but the stable water temps and modest wind pattern will keep fishing steady through the bulk of the day. What’s been biting? This week, anglers have been reporting solid action for striped bass – most catches in the one to four-pound range, with a few double-digit linesides pulled just south of Willow Beach and at the mouth of Lake Mohave. Rainbow trout action has picked up below Hoover Dam; several shore-bound fishermen landed catch limits on PowerBait and small spoons after the last trout plant. Reports from Cottonwood Cove mention smallmouth bass hovering near rock piles and downed trees, most hitting soft plastics in green pumpkin and craw patterns. Catfish are still active in the eddies and deeper holes, with fresh cutbait bringing good numbers in the evening. If you want your line tight and your spirits lifted, best bet this morning is to start just below Willow Beach, working the east bank for stripers and trout. As the day warms, head downstream to Katherine Landing, where the combo of deeper water and submerged structure keeps the bass biting well into midday. Fly anglers: try nymphs and buggers in the riffles just downstream of the bridge if you’re after rainbows. Hot lures right now include 3-4” swimbaits in shad or white-pearl for stripers, as well as medium diving crankbaits in yellow perch coloration for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Trout are still keen on gold Kastmasters and the old standby – bright orange PowerBait. If you’re targeting catfish, sucker chunks and chicken liver after dusk are unbeatable. For the bank crowd or folks fishing with families, local hot spots to circle are Willow Beach Marina and Telephone Cove – both offering easy access, potential for mi This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.