October 26 Fishing Report: Stripers, Bass, and Cats Biting at Lake Mead

Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure with your October 26th fishing report for Lake Mead, Nevada. Fall has settled in nicely around the lake, bringing out some of the best action we’ve had in weeks. Skies today are mostly clear and calm with a light breeze, temps in the high 50s at sunrise, pushing into the mid-70s by afternoon—perfect for a day on the water. Expect sunrise at 7:02 AM and sunset tonight right around 5:55 PM. Although Lake Mead isn’t a tidal fishery, water levels remain slightly below average, but clarity is fair and stable. Stripers are schooling both deep and shallow, while largemouth and smallmouth bass are pushing into the rocky shallows and coves. According to Lake Mead Nevada Daily Fishing Report, stripers have been taking live shad and cut anchovies down deep—especially around the open points north of Hemenway Harbor and near Boulder Beach. Early risers trolling with spoons or throwing topwater walkers have found quick limits before the sun gets high. The largemouth and smallmouth bite is reliably steady along drop-offs and rocky ledges. Best action has been in the backs of Callville Bay and the coves off Government Wash and Temple Bar. Anglers have been pulling in healthy numbers with soft plastics—think green pumpkin or watermelon Senkos, as well as drop-shot rigs. Smallmouth are firing on finesse jigs and Ned rigs, worked slow over chunk rock and submerged brush. Catfish continue to bite well for the night anglers, especially near the Las Vegas Bay area and the edges of Boulder Basin. Big channels are keying in on cut baits and stink baits set along deep flats and near inflows—set your lines after sundown for your best odds. For bait, having fresh shad is never a bad bet for stripers, but cut anchovy still brings them in if the shad are tough to locate. On the artificial side, chrome or white spoons, swimbaits, and topwater lures like a zara spook are hot for boiling stripers. When the surface boils die down late morning, switch to deeper techniques—vertical jigging or drop-shotting plastics in 40 to 60 feet will keep you on the bite. Bass anglers—don’t forget your medium-diving crankbaits in shad or craw patterns for covering water, but slow presentations like Texas-rigged worms and creature baits are finding the larger fish on rocky structure. Hot spots for today: - The north side of Hemenway Harbor for striper schools at dawn—look for boils or watch your sonar. - Temple Bar coves and the rocky shoreline between Boxcar and Sandy Point for bass. - Night-fishing for catfish near the Las Vegas Bay marina or Boulder Basin flats. Recent catches have included plenty of 2–5 pound stripers with a few pushing 8 pounds, smallies in the 2 pound range, and the occasional double-digit catfish at night. Remember, mornings are your best window—by afternoon, fish get deeper as the sun gets higher and boat activity picks up. That’s it for this Lake Mead report. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.