Colorado River Stripers and Smallmouth: Dam Flows and Dawn Bite Strategy

Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River Las Vegas fishing report. We’re working the river stretch below Hoover Dam and around Laughlin, where the flows matter more than tides. The big factor today is **release schedule**: when the dam bumps discharge, expect a stronger current, cooler water, and a noticeable boost in striped bass activity. When flows are low and the river runs clear and slower, the bite gets more finesse-oriented and shifts closer to cover. Weather along this stretch is classic desert river: hot, dry, and bright. Plan on a quick warm-up after dawn, light winds early building into a modest afternoon breeze, and clear skies most of the day. Sunrise is right around the mid‑5 a.m. hour local, with sunset landing a bit after 8 p.m. That gives you a long low‑light window at both ends where fish are far more willing to roam and feed shallow. Fish activity has centered on **striped bass, smallmouth bass, and some catfish**. Local chatter from regulars on the Nevada side reports schoolie stripers in the 1–4 lb range being picked up steadily on moving water, with an occasional 8–10 lb fish for folks putting in the time after dark. Smallmouth are hanging on rock edges, current seams, and any chunk rock or riprap—good numbers but you’ll work through a lot of 10–14 inchers to find a kicker. Channel cats are showing up in the deeper bends on cut bait late evening. For lures, keep it simple but tuned to water clarity. On stripers, think **shad-imitating swimbaits**, 3–5 inch in white or pearl, and small **walking topwaters** at first light. When the sun gets up, downsized **paddle-tail swimbaits** on 1/4–3/8 oz heads and **silver spoons** jigged in the current are putting fish in the net. Smallmouth are chewing **green pumpkin or watermelon soft plastics**—Ned rigs, tubes, and 3 inch grubs—worked slowly along the rocks. If the water has a bit of stain, a **chartreuse-tipped** bait can make a difference. Best bait right now: for stripers, **anchovies and sardines** on Carolina rigs or sliding sinker setups, drifted through current seams or soaked near drop‑offs. Night anglers are also doing well with **cut shad** where they can get it. For cats, it’s hard to beat **stink bait, chicken liver, or cut mackerel** pinned on a sturdy circle hook, set up in deeper holes out of the main push of current. A couple of hot spots to keep in mind: - **Below Hoover Dam down toward Willow Beach**: colder, clearer water, good for both stripers and smallmouth. Work eddies behind boulders and any shade lines, especially when flows ramp up. Swimbaits and spoons shine here, with plastics along the rocks for bronzebacks. - **Laughlin/Bullhead City stretch**: the community parks, current breaks near bridges, and deeper outside bends have been productive. Bank anglers soaking anchovies at those access points are picking off schoolie stripers and a few cats, while boaters casting parallel to the shoreline structure are finding better-size bass. Timing is key: fish from pre‑dawn into the early morning, then again in the last two hours of light into dark. Midday can still produce if you target deeper water, shade, and current seams with slower presentations. That’s the word from the river. Thanks for tuning in, and 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