Colorado River Las Vegas: Desert Bass, Stripers, and Trout in Triple Digit Heat

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River Las Vegas fishing report. We’re looking at classic desert river conditions this morning along the Colorado below Hoover and down toward Laughlin. Skies are mostly clear with hot, dry air on tap later in the day. Expect light winds early, building to a bit of a breeze by afternoon, and triple‑digit heat once the sun gets high, so plan on dawn and dusk sessions. Sunrise is right around the five‑o’clock hour local, with sunset a little after eight, giving a long low‑light window. No tides to worry about here, but water levels and current are driven by releases from Hoover Dam. Flows tend to bump up late morning through afternoon on higher power demand, so you’ll see cooler, faster water mid‑day and a bit softer current early and late. That early period has been best for the bite. Recent action has centered on **striped bass**, **rainbow trout**, and some **smallmouth and largemouth bass** in the slower pockets and back bays. Shore and small‑boat anglers have reported good numbers of schoolie stripers in the 1–3‑pound class with the odd bigger fish. Trout plants below the dam and near Willow Beach have kept rainbows active in the clear, cold water. Bass have been picking off shad and bluegill around rocks, riprap, and any shade you can find. Fish activity has been strongest first light to about 9 a.m., then again the last hour or two of daylight. Mid‑day gets tougher with the bright sun and heavy current; that’s when you go deeper and smaller or take a siesta. On lures, keep it simple and match the desert forage: - For stripers, small to medium **swimbaits**, white or pearl **soft plastics**, and **silver spoons** or **blade baits** have been producing. Topwater walking baits at first light over current seams can be explosive when they’re pushing shad. - For trout, 1/8–1/4‑ounce **spinners**, tiny **crankbaits**, and **small spoons** in gold or silver are the go‑tos in that crystal‑clear water. - For bass, downsized **finesse plastics** on light jigheads, **Ned rigs**, and **drop‑shot worms** in green pumpkin, shad, or smoke have been steady. A shallow crank or jerkbait along rocky banks early can pick up both smallmouth and largemouth. If you’re a bait angler: - Stripers: **cut anchovies**, **sardines**, or **threadfin shad** on a simple sliding sinker rig are still the most reliable producers. - Trout: **nightcrawlers**, **salmon eggs**, and small dough baits under a light leader. - Catfish (for those staying after dark): **chicken liver**, **stink baits**, and cut bait in the slower eddies. A couple of local hot spots to focus on: First, the stretch **right below Hoover Dam down toward Willow Beach**. That icy, oxygen‑rich water holds trout and stripers year‑round. Work the eddies, current breaks, and rock walls with spinners, small cranks, and swimbaits early, then go deeper as the sun climbs. Second, the **Laughlin/Bullhead City corridor**, especially current seams and drop‑offs near casinos, bridge pilings, and rocky points. Schoolie stripers roam these edges, and bass tuck into any slack water. Slow‑roll swimbaits or toss cut anchovy on the edges of the flow and hang on. Remember to bring plenty of water, sun protection, and check your local Nevada and Arizona regulations, especially if you’re crossing from one bank to the other. That’s the Colorado River Las Vegas area report from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a bite. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn