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Colorado River Fishing Report: Stripers, Bass, Cats, and More
Published 7 months ago
Description
Artificial Lure here with your September 26, 2025, morning fishing report for the Colorado River in and around Las Vegas.
Today’s sunrise hit at 6:31 AM, with sunset coming up at 6:37 PM. We’re looking at classic desert autumn—low humidity, clear skies, and temperatures climbing from the mid-60s at dawn up towards 87 degrees by late afternoon. Winds are light out of the north, barely stirring the river’s surface, making for calm conditions all day.
Water levels on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam remain steady. There’s no tidal influence here, but flows have been consistent, which is good news for anglers looking for predictable fishing action. The river clarity is decent, with just a touch of green—it’s ideal for both bait and artificial presentations.
Fish activity this week has ticked upward, with cooling overnight temps getting the striper bite back in gear. Stripers are running strong between Willow Beach and the Big Bend area, averaging 2–5 pounds, though a couple of double-digit bruisers have come in overnight. Local reports also mention largemouth and smallmouth bass along rocky points and submerged brush lines, mostly in the 1-3 pound range. Catfish action has been steady after sunset, with several channel cats up to 8 pounds pulled out at the confluence of the river and Las Vegas Wash.
Recent catches confirm that stripers have been favoring swimbaits and anchovies. Locals are getting numbers early using 4- to 6-inch soft plastic shads in pearl or white. Topwater bite has been spotty, but a few anglers working pencil poppers at first light found quick action just below the dam. For bait, cut anchovies remain the old reliable—thread them on a sliding rig and drift them through current seams.
Bass anglers have been going with chartreuse spinnerbaits or Texas-rigged craws near submerged rocks, especially around Cottonwood Cove and the tailwater below Willow Beach. Jigging with small tubes in pumpkin or watermelon colors has been productive around shaded overhangs during midday.
If you’re after catfish, head to the back eddies near Big Bend or the sandy flats at Laughlin. Stinkbaits and chicken liver fished on the bottom after dark have drawn in several channels and a few bullheads.
For hotspots, Willow Beach Marina is always worth a stop, especially near the fish hatchery discharge. Another productive stretch is the confluence at Las Vegas Wash, where the mixing currents draw in baitfish and hungry stripers. If you’ve got a kayak or small boat, drifting above Big Bend early in the morning or late afternoon is about as good as it gets.
The river’s fishing pressure is light on weekdays, with mostly locals and a couple of traveling anglers. If you want to avoid crowds, launch before sunrise and aim for secondary points away from the main channel.
Thanks for tuning in to your Colorado River fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates and on-the-water tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Today’s sunrise hit at 6:31 AM, with sunset coming up at 6:37 PM. We’re looking at classic desert autumn—low humidity, clear skies, and temperatures climbing from the mid-60s at dawn up towards 87 degrees by late afternoon. Winds are light out of the north, barely stirring the river’s surface, making for calm conditions all day.
Water levels on the Colorado River below Hoover Dam remain steady. There’s no tidal influence here, but flows have been consistent, which is good news for anglers looking for predictable fishing action. The river clarity is decent, with just a touch of green—it’s ideal for both bait and artificial presentations.
Fish activity this week has ticked upward, with cooling overnight temps getting the striper bite back in gear. Stripers are running strong between Willow Beach and the Big Bend area, averaging 2–5 pounds, though a couple of double-digit bruisers have come in overnight. Local reports also mention largemouth and smallmouth bass along rocky points and submerged brush lines, mostly in the 1-3 pound range. Catfish action has been steady after sunset, with several channel cats up to 8 pounds pulled out at the confluence of the river and Las Vegas Wash.
Recent catches confirm that stripers have been favoring swimbaits and anchovies. Locals are getting numbers early using 4- to 6-inch soft plastic shads in pearl or white. Topwater bite has been spotty, but a few anglers working pencil poppers at first light found quick action just below the dam. For bait, cut anchovies remain the old reliable—thread them on a sliding rig and drift them through current seams.
Bass anglers have been going with chartreuse spinnerbaits or Texas-rigged craws near submerged rocks, especially around Cottonwood Cove and the tailwater below Willow Beach. Jigging with small tubes in pumpkin or watermelon colors has been productive around shaded overhangs during midday.
If you’re after catfish, head to the back eddies near Big Bend or the sandy flats at Laughlin. Stinkbaits and chicken liver fished on the bottom after dark have drawn in several channels and a few bullheads.
For hotspots, Willow Beach Marina is always worth a stop, especially near the fish hatchery discharge. Another productive stretch is the confluence at Las Vegas Wash, where the mixing currents draw in baitfish and hungry stripers. If you’ve got a kayak or small boat, drifting above Big Bend early in the morning or late afternoon is about as good as it gets.
The river’s fishing pressure is light on weekdays, with mostly locals and a couple of traveling anglers. If you want to avoid crowds, launch before sunrise and aim for secondary points away from the main channel.
Thanks for tuning in to your Colorado River fishing report. Don’t forget to subscribe for daily updates and on-the-water tips. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.