Stripers, Smallies, & Cats: Lake Mead's Hot November Bite

This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Lake Mead fishing report for Tuesday, November 25th, 2025. Sunrise was around 6:30 this morning, with sunset due at 4:28 this afternoon, giving you a decent window for getting those lines wet before the days grow much shorter. Weather’s crisp and clear—mornings have been cool, hovering just under 50 at dawn but warming up quickly into the mid-60s by midday. Little to no wind expected, so it’s prime for both shore and boat anglers. Lake levels are holding steady for this time of year, and with these calm November conditions, the fish have been active right through the daylight hours. No tidal action here, so you can focus on wind and sun position to plan your spots rather than chasing moving tides. Local podcasts like Lake Mead, Nevada Fishing Report Today and updates from Spreaker have anglers buzzing about an exceptional run on **striped bass**—plenty of limits coming in around Boulder Basin and the sheer walls just north of Hemenway. Most of these stripers are schoolies, running 1 to 3 pounds, but a couple of 6-pounders hit the docks from deeper water by Dropoff Point yesterday. Trolling deep-diving crankbaits and using live shad have been accounting for the bulk of catches. Early risers are scoring stripers up shallow on pencil poppers or Zara Spooks before the sun gets up, then switching to silver spoons or Kastmasters as the schools go deeper mid-morning. **Smallmouth bass** are another story—hot and hungry right now. Folks working the rocky points near Callville Bay and the coves up by Echo have reported multiple double hookups just working craw-traps or ned rigs slow and close to the rocks. Best luck’s happening in 10-25 feet, but if you find a sun-warmed boulder field, throw a green pumpkin tube or a drop shot with a 4-inch shad imitation. Some largemouth mixed in, but the real show is the hard-charging smallmouth—several pushing 3 pounds caught this week. **Catfish bite** has been strong after dark and early in the morning around Government Wash—cut sardines or chicken livers are all you need for channel cats, and locals bringing in fish in the 5- to 8-pound class from the deeper holes close to submerged timber. **Best baits and lures:** - For stripers: live shad, deep-diving shad-imitating crankbaits, silver spoons, and topwater in low light. - For smallmouth: root beer and green pumpkin tubes, ned rigs, drop shot rigs with shad or goby plastics. - For catfish: cut baits like mackerel, sardines, or chicken liver. **Hot spots:** - Boulder Basin for stripers—troll contour lines from 40 to 60 feet, especially just off the points. - Callville Bay rocky points, particularly at first light, for smallmouth action on plastics. - Government Wash after dark for catfish, near where the creek feeds in. If you’re new to the area, don’t forget that Lake Mead is notorious for sudden wind gusts and hidden drop-offs. Hydrate, wear a life vest, and keep an eye on the weather—according to This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.