Lake Mead Fishing Report: Stripers, Smallies, and Crankbaits Shine in Fall Conditions

Lake Mead anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Wednesday, November 19, 2025, morning fishing report. Weather’s starting out cool today, typical late fall in southern Nevada. We’ve got clear skies, with a light northwest breeze picking up by late morning. Temps are running from the low 50s at dawn and will push into the mid-60s by midday. Humidity’s pretty low, so bring some chapstick and layer up early. Sunrise hit at 6:22 AM and sunset will be at 4:36 PM—plenty of fishing daylight, but shadows are getting longer[Weather Channel]. For tidal info: Lake Mead ain’t tidal, since it’s a reservoir, but water levels are holding steady after summer’s drops. Launch ramps are open at Boulder Harbor and Hemenway, but keep an eye out for those rocky flats on the southern arms. The Coyote Gulch blog reported on Nov 9 that the lake’s level is stable by season norms, no closure alerts and access is solid for November 2025. The bite has definitely picked up with this week’s high pressure, especially for striped bass and largemouth. Early risers got the best action, with stripers stacking up near drop-offs and chasing shad. Jigs and jerkbaits in silver or white have been hot; locals at WesternBass.com report 2-5 pound stripers landed around Kingman Wash and the narrows this week, with occasional double-digit fish showing near the dam before noon. Best lures are deep-diving crankbaits—try the 6XD or similar in shad and craw patterns. Swimbaits are working, especially around roving striper schools mid-lake. Jerkbaits with natural shad color are also doing damage in open water drifts. If you’re after largemouth or smallmouth, finesse plastics on a dropshot or Carolina rig around submerged brush and structure have pulled in good numbers. Switch to soft jerk-shads when the sun gets high and fish slide deeper. Recent catches have been solid: locals have pulled 3-4 pound smallmouth off rocky points east of Stewarts Bay. Live shad and anchovies are still a favorite for the bait guys, especially for stripers. If you fish from shore, chunk bait off Boulder Beach or Echo Bay is dependable—just set your drag loose, those stripers run hard. Numbers are up this week: several boats reported a dozen or more stripers per outing, with some boats landing thirty-plus keepers over two days, most in the 2-5 lb range. Smallmouth and largemouth reports are also strong, mostly between 1-3 lbs, but there’s rumors of bigger ones coming up from deeper rock piles. Hot spots right now: - **Kingman Wash**: Stripers early and late; shore and boat. - **Stewarts Point**: Smallmouth action on tube jigs and Ned rigs; try 15-30 feet deep. - **Boulder Harbor (southern cove edges)**: Largemouth and some crappie stacking up around flooded brush. Fall foliage is sparing in the desert, but water clarity’s great and the shorelines are quiet, perfect for some peaceful casts. The best window for fish bites this week has been mid-morning to early afternoon, especially as the water warms. Gear This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.