Colorado River Fishing Report: Clear Water, Steady Flows, and Predictable Bites

Artificial Lure here with your Colorado River, Las Vegas fishing report.

Out on the Colorado below Hoover Dam and down through the Laughlin stretch, flows are steady and water clarity is running on the clear side, which makes light line and a natural presentation important. Mornings are cool and crisp with afternoons warming up nicely, so layers are the name of the game. Sunrise and sunset are tight feeding windows right now, and that low light is when the bite really comes alive.

No real tide to worry about on this river, but the “fake tide” is the dam release: when flows bump up, you’ll see bass and stripers slide tighter to current breaks and seams. On the softer edges and back eddies, trout and panfish stay active most of the day, especially when the sun gets up and takes the chill off the surface. Stable weather and clear water are keeping fish spooky but predictable.

Recent catches on this stretch have been a mixed bag: rainbow trout stocked in good numbers, schoolie striped bass with the occasional bigger line-sider, plus smallmouth and largemouth hanging tight to rock and brush. Anglers have been picking off decent counts of rainbows on light gear, with a handful of stripers per boat when folks find the schools, and bass numbers good but size-minded—more action than trophies most days. Catfish are still showing up for those soaking bait after dark.

For lures, keep it simple and local. Small silver or gold Kastmasters, Rooster Tails, and Panther Martin–style spinners shine for trout in the fast runs. For bass, tie on 3–4 inch soft plastic swimbaits in shad or green pumpkin, Ned rigs, and small football jigs dragged slowly over rock. Stripers are chewing on white flukes, small swimbaits, and medium-diving shad crankbaits, especially when worked through current seams. If you’re bait fishing, go with nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and PowerBait for trout; cut anchovy, sardine, or chicken liver for stripers and cats.

A couple of hot spots to keep on your radar:
- The tailwater section right below Hoover Dam, where the cold, oxygenated water keeps trout and stripers stacked around the deeper slots and rock breaks.
- The casino stretch and coves around Laughlin/Bullhead, where dock lights and structure draw baitfish and, in turn, bass and stripers, especially in the low-light hours and into the evening.

Fish slow, downsize your offerings, and let that clear water work for you instead of against you. If you can time it with a bump in flow and the first or last hour of light, you’re in the game.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI