Lake Mead Fishing Report: Stripers, Bass, and More in Low Water Conditions

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Mead fishing report for Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Stick with me for the freshest info on conditions, catches, tactics, and local hot spots. We’re rolling into early fall with Lake Mead at about 32% of capacity, hovering near 8 million acre-feet according to experts studying the current Colorado River situation. Water levels are still low and holding steady, and launches are accessible but variable depending on the ramp. If you’re heading out, sunrise hit at 6:31 a.m. today, and we’ll see sunset at 6:37 p.m.—plenty of daylight for long outings. Notably, tidal effects aren’t a factor at Mead, but sustained low water makes fish more predictable near deeper channels and submerged structure. Today’s weather is classic desert transition: clear skies early, light winds building to 10–15 mph by midday, and highs pushing the upper 80s. Last week’s monsoonal storms are history, so the water’s clearing, and surface temps sit in the mid-70s. Recent downpours upstream didn’t budge the water much here, but did put a little stain in some washes and coves. With this stable weather, fish should stay active well into the late morning and again near dusk. Fishing activity’s ticking up as temperatures drop off overnight. According to recent reports from local anglers and guides, the morning bite for striped bass has been solid around Government Wash and Boulder Basin. Trollers working the 30-foot breaks early with white or pearl swimbaits are picking up numbers of 2–4 pounders, and the occasional bigger fish too. Some groups landed upwards of 15–20 stripers on half-day trips this week, with the best action dawn to 10 a.m. Cut anchovies are still the anchor bait in the Vegas Wash area, producing steady limits from boats and shoreline alike, especially near drop-offs. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are coming alive on rocky points and submerged brush in Temple Bar and the Gregg Basin. Anglers throwing chartreuse crankbaits and 4-inch green pumpkin finesse worms are reporting quality smallmouth up to 3 pounds and largemouth pushing 4. The bite’s best on wind-blown banks and first thing in the morning. Fishing pressure is light during the weekdays, so you can pick your water. Bluegill are schooling shallow around submerged sticks near Echo Bay, and a few chunky channel catfish have been taken on chicken liver rigged in the backs of the coves at night. Not a ton of trout reports recently—most action is focused on bass and stripers, which are far more consistent in the current conditions. Top lures this week: for stripers, white paddle-tail swimbaits with heavy jig heads, Kastmaster spoons for vertical jigging, and—for the bait anglers—cut anchovies or sardines fished on a sliding sinker rig. Bass chasers should throw medium-diving, shad or perch pattern crankbaits, Ned rigs, or drop-shots with natural colored worms. Catfish respond well to chicken livers or stink baits, especially after dark. If you’re planning your spots, This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.