Lake Mead Fishing Report - Stripers, Smallmouth, and Cats Biting Steady

Artificial Lure here with your September 7, 2025, Lake Mead fishing report. Sunrise hit around 6:22am, sunset will slide in just before 7:06pm, so there’s plenty of good light for those morning and evening bites. No tidal movement here, but keep a close eye on water levels; they’re low for another month thanks to that stingy Colorado River runoff and Bureau of Reclamation data shows the reservoir near 3,555 feet, so launch ramps remain limited and some back bays are skinny. Early fall means cooler overnight temps and highs today topping out near 89°F. Winds will likely build by midday up to 10 knots—expect some chop especially near Boulder Basin and out across the Boulder Beach flats. Mornings stay calm, afternoons can be gusty, especially moving west toward Las Vegas Bay. Fishing has been steady if you’re working moving baits and targeting transitional structure. Stripers are the main draw: locals are pulling stringers in the 2-5lb range with occasional boils reported off Hemenway and Government Wash at first light. Best action comes by casting **pencil poppers, Zara Spooks, or LV-500 lipless cranks** when you catch surface schooling. Cut anchovy and squid remains money drifting in 40-60 feet for those targeting deeper marks. Smallmouth bass are picking up along rocky drop-offs, particularly around Echo Bay and the northern points above Stewarts. Try **Ned rigs, Keitech swimbaits in shad colors, or green pumpkin tubes**. Late-season bluegill are sticking close to brush piles near shore, nibbling on mealworms and small pieces of nightcrawler. Channel cats remain solid, especially for night fishing. Drop **chicken liver or stink baits** near submerged wood off Temple Bar after dark for best results; reports of fish up to 8lb have come in all week. Recent catches show: - Stripers: 2-5lb, daily limits common, mostly taken on cut bait or reaction lures - Channel cats: 3-8lb classes, good night bite on bait - Smallmouth bass: 1-3lb, plastics & finesse baits near rocks - Bluegill and crappie: steady numbers, mostly on worms Best baits today: - **Cut anchovy, squid** (for stripers) - **Chicken liver, stink bait** (catfish) - **Keitech swimbaits, Ned rigs, tubes** (bass) - **Mealworms, nightcrawlers** (panfish) Top lures this week: - LV-500, Zara Spook, pencil popper (stripers) - Green pumpkin Ned rig, Keitech Shad Impact (smallmouth) - Gold Kastmaster, small Rooster Tail (bluegill/crappie) Two hot spots to circle: - **Government Wash**: Early striper boils, consistent action for bait dunkers and lure tossers alike. - **Echo Bay**: Reliable smallmouth bite and mixed panfish, best for finesse anglers working plastics. Keep your eyes peeled for active birds and dimpling shad, both excellent signs of predator fish pushing up shallow. As always, water levels are shifting, so be cautious if you’re launching from any of the remote ramps. Thanks for tuning in. Don't forget to subscribe for future fishing updates! This has been a quiet please productio This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.