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Lake Mead Fishing Report: Striped Bass, Bass, and Catfish Bite Strong Despite Dropping Water Levels
Good morning from Lake Mead—Artificial Lure here with your Friday, August 29th, 2025 fishing report straight from the water’s edge.
Weather at first light is calm and cool, about 76°F, with highs pushing toward 94°F by the afternoon and just a hint of breeze picking up midday. The air is crisp this morning after our recent heatwave eased off, so it’s prime time for early birds. Expect sunrise at 6:15 a.m. and sunset rolling in just after 7:13 p.m. No tides out here, but the falling lake level is more noticeable day by day, so watch those launch ramps and stay smart about where you park your boat—some are high and dry, per updates from Instagram and Nevada Fish Reports.
Fishing has stayed steady through late August, though low water continues to shift the game. Reports all week from Nevada Fish Reports and the Mohave Fishing Club: water’s hovering in the high 70s, but clarity is surprisingly good for this time of summer. Catfish are on the prowl at night, no doubt responding to that gradual drop in water temps.
Striped bass action is the centerpiece lately. Locals trolling the Boulder Basin and Government Wash at dawn and dusk have been cashing in. Anglers fishing shad-pattern swimbaits, chrome Rat-L-Traps, and good old white bucktail jigs are catching limits of schoolies (1-3 pounds), with the occasional 5-7 pound bruiser pulled from deeper water first thing in the morning. The best bite is between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m., so don’t wait for your coffee to finish brewing.
For largemouth and smallmouth bass, things are picking up along cliff walls and rocky points. Soft plastics are king—think watermelon Senkos and green pumpkin drop shots thrown around submerged brush and rocky outcrops. Bassmaster recently spotlighted finesse tactics for Lake Mead, and that’s holding true now: fish slow and work every shady pocket between Temple Bar and Sand Island. A few locals even reported solid topwater bites early, with poppers and walking baits drawing explosive strikes on overcast mornings.
Catfishers are finding steady action at night, drifting chicken liver and cut anchovy near the Vegas Wash and around Hemenway Harbor. Average channel cats are running 2-4 pounds, but there’s always a shot at a bigger fish after dark. Bluegill are still active for the kids near Echo Bay, with worms and mealworms around dock pilings producing a mess of hand-sized fish.
Recent catches logged by area guides show a good mix: striped bass by the dozen, with the best bags coming from anglers who combine trolling with vertical jigging over deep bait schools. Largemouth are fewer but heavier, and a couple of five-pounders turned up this week for patient anglers flipping Senkos.
Best hot spots right now:
- Boulder Basin, especially along the island drop-offs—top choice for both stripers and bass.
- Government Wash for numbers of smaller stripers and for reliable catfish action at night.
- Temple Bar area remains a quality bet for anyone targeting smallmouth on rocky ledges.
Top lures: white or silver swimbaits, Rat-L-Traps, bucktail jigs, soft plastic worms (Senko or drop shot), and topwater walkers in bone or chrome.
If you’re new, swing by the local tackle shops, where folks can point you toward the best color patterns for the week—the bite can turn with a quick change in weather, and the right shade makes all the difference.
Thank you for tuning in to the Lake Mead fishing report. Be safe, hydrate, and help keep the lake clean. Don’t forget to subscribe for more updates. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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Published on 2 days, 14 hours ago