"Stripers, Smallies & Cats at Lake Mead - November 20th Fishing Report"

Good morning from beautiful Lake Mead, Nevada—this is Artificial Lure with your boots-on-the-ground fishing report for Thursday, November 20th, 2025. We’re coming off a brisk desert night; temps at dawn started in the mid-40s, expected to rise to about 67 degrees by late afternoon. Skies are mostly clear, with light breezes starting out of the northeast. According to Weather Underground, sunrise hit at 6:17 AM and we’re looking at sunset around 4:36 PM, so you’ve got solid daylight for your run-and-gun striper search. No tides on the freshwater, but water level is noticeably low—Coyote Gulch notes lake conditions are “beyond awful” as far as reservoir capacity, but that’s only pushed the bait and fish tighter to the remaining structure and drop-offs. Striper action is staying strong, as reported by the Lake Mead Nevada Fishing Report Today podcast. Early birds using topwater poppers and swimbaits landed several healthy stripers along Boulder Beach first light. Cast parallel to rocky shores and around shad schools—the key is to mimic the smaller bait. Anglers checked in with handfuls of stripers in the 2-4 pound range, with one solid 9-pounder caught near Government Wash on a white paddle-tail. Daylight hours have seen a nice uptick in smallmouth bass feeding—the kind of window we look forward to every fall. Pods of smallies are schooling up, especially off points near Echo Bay and around the old relics in Callville Bay. Ned rigs in green pumpkin and smoke, along with shad-imitating jerkbaits, brought over a dozen smallmouth to the boat this week, and a couple even nudged the 3-lb mark. Night-slingers have been quietly connecting with chunky channel cats in coves east of Hemenway. Cut anchovies and stink baits on Carolina rigs are the ticket after dark—one group checked in with a stringer of cats, biggest going a little over 7 pounds. If you’re after a mixed bag, anglers deploying live shad or using the Mystery Tackle Box Bass Pro Fishing Kit from North 40 Outfitters have reported steady action and noted the kits include 5-6 hard baits and plastics perfect for cycling bites throughout the day. Best lures right now: - White or chrome topwater poppers (stripers at dawn) - Paddle-tail swimbaits in shad colors - Deep-diving crankbaits in natural patterns - Ned rigs and drop shot for smallmouth (green pumpkin, baby bass) - Cut anchovies or chicken liver for catfish Hot spots: - Boulder Beach for stripers—work those points at first light - Echo Bay for smallies, try the underwater structure north of the marina - Government Wash for a consistent mix—don't be afraid to hit those submerged humps - Hemenway Harbor coves after sunset for catfish Safety tip: Lake conditions are lower than normal, so those hidden rocks and sandbars are closer to the surface—take it slow, especially in the coves. That’s your November 20th report from Lake Mead. Thanks for tuning in with me, Artificial Lure. If you found these tips useful, be sure to This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.