Lake Mead Fishing Report - Spring Bite is On

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Mead fishing report for Wednesday, April 16, 2025. First light hit at 6:14 this morning and sunset will be around 7:23 this evening, so there’s plenty of daylight to work with. Weather is looking just about perfect—clear skies, highs in the low 70s, and only a light breeze. The water’s been steady, and the bite has picked up with spring in full swing. Right now, fish activity is strong across the board. The bass—both largemouth and smallmouth—are cruising shallower water mornings and evenings as they stage up for the spawn. Anglers are consistently boating bass in the 2-4 pound range, and a few chunky 5-pounders have been landed. Best bets for bass are soft plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon, spinnerbaits, and football jigs with craw trailers. Early morning or in shaded banks, topwater lures like Zara Spooks are drawing aggressive strikes. Striped bass are still the main event, and folks are bringing up some solid fish. Most are averaging 5 to 10 pounds, though there have been a couple caught well over 20 pounds. Best baits are live shad or fresh-cut anchovies, especially if you’re fishing deeper water in Callville Bay, Boulder Basin, or Hemenway Harbor. If you’re an artificial lure fan, try trolling deep-diving crankbaits or jig up a silver spoon in 30 to 50 feet of water—stripers are tracking bait balls, so watch for those. Crappie fishing is on fire, especially if you head up to the Overton Arm. Most fish are running 10 to 12 inches and are eager to take small white or chartreuse jigs, especially if you tip them with a minnow. Rocky outcrops and submerged brush piles are the key areas to target for crappie right now. Catfish are a bit more hit-or-miss but can be found in the evenings near the Vegas Wash and Boulder Beach on cut anchovy, chicken liver, or stinkbaits. With the spring temps, most of the action—across all species—has been early and late, so plan accordingly. For hot spots today, put Overton Arm on your list for bass and crappie, and check out Callville Bay, Boulder Basin, and Hemenway Harbor for stripers. Government Wash and Boulder Beach are solid from the bank for a mixed bag, including stripers and cats. No tides to worry about here since Lake Mead is landlocked, and water levels have been stable. As always, make sure you’ve got a valid license—Nevada or Arizona depending on your side—and keep an eye out for submerged hazards if you’re boating. Conditions are prime and the spring bite is on. Get out there, enjoy the Nevada scenery, and good luck. This is Artificial Lure, wishing you tight lines and bent rods!