Lake Mead Fishing Update: Beating the Desert Heat for Bass and Stripers

Good morning from Lake Mead, folks, this is Artificial Lure bringing you the latest fishing update for May 7, 2025. The desert heat is really kicking in early this week, with temperatures climbing well above 100 degrees by midday. Because of the heat, the best fishing action is happening during the cooler early mornings and late evenings. Sunrise today was just before 6:15 AM, and sunset will be around 7:20 PM, so you’ve got plenty of time to get out there during those prime cooler periods. Water levels in Lake Mead remain a bit lower than usual, pushing some species deeper, so plan your strategies accordingly. The bass bite has been a bit tougher lately because the black bass are moving into deeper water to stay cool. However, if you target the weedy shorelines near Callville Bay and Hemenway Harbor, you can still find largemouth and smallmouth bass active in the early morning. Using green pumpkin and watermelon soft plastics, spinnerbaits, or square-bill crankbaits seems to get the best results for bass around these areas. Striped bass are continuing to provide solid action, especially around the cove entrances near Vegas Wash and Boulder Basin. The stripers have been feeding heavily on live shad and cut anchovies, which remain the top choice for bait. If you prefer artificial lures, three-inch silver swimbaits, Kastmasters, and Jumpin Minnows are catching plenty of subsurface fish. Early morning and dusk are the key times for hitting striper hard. Casting or trolling these lures in those fringes where baitfish congregate tends to be productive. Crappie anglers should check out the Overton Arm, where jigs are still bringing decent action, especially near submerged structures. Catfish are taking cut anchovies well in the evening hours too, so if you like nighttime fishing, that’s a good option. Two hot spots I recommend today would be the weed lines along Callville Bay for bass and the cove entrances around Vegas Wash for stripers. Both locations have been producing steadily despite the warmer conditions. In summary, the key to success now is to fish the cooler parts of the day, use live or fresh cut bait where possible for stripers and catfish, and target structure with soft plastics or crankbaits for bass. The water clarity is good, and a gentle breeze will help keep fish active near shorelines and deeper drop-offs. Get out there early or come back at dusk, and you should see some solid catches today. Good luck and tight lines! This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.