Lake Mead Fishing Report: Fall Striper, Bass and Catfish Action

Artificial Lure here, bringing you the Lake Mead fishing report for October 18, 2025. It’s a cool, stable fall morning out on Lake Mead, with air temps at sunrise around the mid-60s and light winds rolling off Boulder Harbor. Looking ahead, expect a high today right near 80°F, mild breezes through midday, and only a few lingering clouds—classic autumn fishing weather for Southern Nevada. Sunrise hit at 6:47 AM, sunset will drop the curtain at 6:04 PM. Tidal influence is minimal here thanks to our reservoir setting, but you’ll still notice some subtle current shifts where the Colorado River influence comes in. Striped bass are dominating the scene this week, according to the Lake Mead, Nevada Daily Fishing Report Podcast. Shoreline fishing continues to thrive as water levels remain low—less cover means more productive banks and concentrated fish. Locals report steady numbers of stripers averaging 1-3 pounds, with a few larger 4-to-6 pounders landed near deeper structure edges and submerged points. Topwater action for stripers has been solid early, especially from first light until about 9 AM. Tossing white Zara Spooks, pencil poppers, or a 1/2-ounce chrome/blue Rat-L-Trap can produce vicious strikes around shallow bait balls. As the sun climbs, stripers slide off into 30-50 feet. Anglers casting or trolling heavy swimbaits or jigging silver spoons, like a Hopkins Shorty or Kastmaster, are pulling fish out of schools marked on their sonar. Cut anchovies remain the go-to bait if you want consistent action—drift those baits near the drop-offs by Government Wash and Hemingway Harbor. Black bass are showing classic fall transition behavior. With surface temps cooling and shad schooling up, spotted and largemouth bass are chasing bait in the backs of coves, especially around submerged brush and rocky shelves. Throw shad-imitating crankbaits, underscore jerkbaits like the Lucky Craft Pointer in ghost minnow, or 3-4” paddle-tail swimbaits along windy points. Ned rigs or Texas-rigged soft plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon are working well as the sun gets higher and the bite slows down. For numbers, the best recent reports are coming out of the Echo Bay marina area and the narrows just west of Temple Bar. Anglers focusing on these spots with live shad or soft plastic jigs have picked up mixed bags—stripers, largemouth, and smallmouth alike. Catfish are also making a bit of a run, especially at night. Cut baits and chicken liver fished along sandy flats east of Las Vegas Bay and in the Overton Arm are producing plenty of channel cats up to about 5 pounds. Good reports for shore anglers using smelly bait on the bottom after dusk. Hot spots this week: - Boulder Harbor to Government Wash: Consistent striper and catfish bite, best with anchovy chunks, spoons, and topwater plugs at first light. - Echo Bay and the Temple Bar Narrows: Mixed bag action for black bass and stripers, productive with swimbaits and live shad. Remember, as water levels rem