Lake Mead Fishing Report: Bass Retreat, Stripers Shine on Anchovies, Best Bets for Early & Late Bites

Good morning, Lake Mead anglers! Artificial Lure here with your fishing report for Monday, May 5, 2025. Another hot desert day is upon us with temperatures expected to hit triple digits by midday. It's currently clear skies with just a light breeze – perfect early morning conditions before the heat kicks in. No tides to worry about on our freshwater paradise, but you'll want to time your fishing with the cooler hours. Sunrise was at 5:43 am and sunset will be around 7:33 pm tonight. The heat pattern continues to push our fish deeper, folks. Over the weekend, both largemouth and smallmouth bass have been retreating to cooler, deeper waters. If you're targeting bass today, you'll need to slow your presentation down and focus on structure in deeper zones. Soft plastics worked slowly near drop-offs have been producing decent results, especially around Calville Bay and Hemenway Harbor, but you'll need some patience and finesse. Striped bass remain the hot ticket at Lake Mead right now. They're hitting consistently on live shad and cut anchovies – those anchovies are absolute money at Mead, as always. For quantity fishing, chunk those anchovies and fish them off the bottom during mornings and evenings. If you're casting, silver swimbaits around 3 inches, Kastmasters, and Jumpin Minnows have all been effective when the stripers are actively feeding subsurface. For you striper hunters, the cove entrances around Vegas Wash area have been particularly productive for boaters. I'm also hearing good reports from Boulder Basin if you're looking to fill a cooler. Catfish action has been hit or miss lately, but worth a try if you've got some extra anchovies. With these warming temperatures, I expect the catfish bite to improve in the coming days. As for hot spots, I'd recommend giving Government Wash a try early this morning – several anglers reported good striper action there yesterday. Echo Bay has also been producing some quality fish for those willing to make the trip. Remember, with these temperatures climbing, it's critical to hit the water either at first light or in those golden hours before sunset. Stay hydrated out there, keep your catch cool, and treat our beautiful Lake Mead with respect. This is Artificial Lure signing off – tight lines and see you on the water! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.