Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Fishing the Colorado River: Stripers, Smallies, and More as Temps Cool for Fall
Published 6 months, 2 weeks ago
Description
Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 fishing report from the Colorado River, right outside Las Vegas.
The desert is cooling down, but fishing is just heating up along the big river as we slide deeper into fall. Weather’s pleasant today—early temps kicking off in the low 60s and rising toward a high of about 81 by mid-afternoon. Light desert winds out of the north-northeast are expected at less than 10 mph, and the sun’s popping up at 6:49am, then dropping out of sight at 6:10pm. Skies are clear with just a whisper of clouds drifting by, making for ideal fall fishing conditions.
On the tidal report—well, this stretch of the Colorado isn’t tidal like a delta, but what you do want to watch is the outflow from Hoover Dam. Flows have ticked up slightly as demand east of us lessens with the change in seasons and water managers try to catch up after a dry summer. Just remember: a heavier release in the morning means more current—sometimes the difference between a so-so bite and a banner day.
Now, let’s talk fish. Word from both local guides and regulars this week is that **striper** action is ramping up in the early mornings and late evenings, especially in the deeper holes and along the steeper rock faces below Willow Beach and Davis Dam. Lots of schoolies around, but several nice fat fish in the 4–7lb range have hit the stringer recently. Bonus: smallmouth bass are biting especially well on midday swings near submerged structure and current seams.
Reports from Fishbrain and local message boards say anglers last weekend worked minnows and anchovies from shore, and those drifting shad-pattern swimbaits boated a mix of stripers up to 8 pounds and a couple bonus largemouth to 3 pounds. Catfish are also being taken at dusk using chicken livers and stinkbaits, with a few pushing the double-digit mark.
Best lures for stripers right now: **white or pearl swimbaits (3–5"), chrome topwaters before sunup, and bucktail jigs tossed into the current breaks**. For smallmouth, you can’t beat a green pumpkin tube or a Ned rig bounced along rocky points.
If bait’s your preference, **anchovies and cut shad** are top picks for stripers. Locals are tipping into the smallmouth bite with nightcrawlers or soft plastics fished slow. For catfish, it’s all about stinkbaits, cut mackerel, or classic chicken liver.
Hotspots? *Below Willow Beach* is producing limits if you’re in a boat—focus on the first two miles downstream for mixed bag action. Shore anglers are reporting solid numbers around *Davis Dam tailwaters*, particularly at Community Park and near Big Bend State Recreation Area. If you like a challenge, hike the shoreline above Laughlin; some of those lesser-fished coves are holding big, hungry bass.
The river is in transition mode as we press into fall: cooling water has fish moving shallower and feeding hard before winter. Pack some reaction baits in your box, bring a variety of jigheads, and don’t be afraid to switch up—sometimes just a little color change on your swimbait is all it takes on these clear, current-driven waters.
Thanks for tuning in to the Colorado River report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a bite, and here’s to tight lines and heavy nets this October!
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.
The desert is cooling down, but fishing is just heating up along the big river as we slide deeper into fall. Weather’s pleasant today—early temps kicking off in the low 60s and rising toward a high of about 81 by mid-afternoon. Light desert winds out of the north-northeast are expected at less than 10 mph, and the sun’s popping up at 6:49am, then dropping out of sight at 6:10pm. Skies are clear with just a whisper of clouds drifting by, making for ideal fall fishing conditions.
On the tidal report—well, this stretch of the Colorado isn’t tidal like a delta, but what you do want to watch is the outflow from Hoover Dam. Flows have ticked up slightly as demand east of us lessens with the change in seasons and water managers try to catch up after a dry summer. Just remember: a heavier release in the morning means more current—sometimes the difference between a so-so bite and a banner day.
Now, let’s talk fish. Word from both local guides and regulars this week is that **striper** action is ramping up in the early mornings and late evenings, especially in the deeper holes and along the steeper rock faces below Willow Beach and Davis Dam. Lots of schoolies around, but several nice fat fish in the 4–7lb range have hit the stringer recently. Bonus: smallmouth bass are biting especially well on midday swings near submerged structure and current seams.
Reports from Fishbrain and local message boards say anglers last weekend worked minnows and anchovies from shore, and those drifting shad-pattern swimbaits boated a mix of stripers up to 8 pounds and a couple bonus largemouth to 3 pounds. Catfish are also being taken at dusk using chicken livers and stinkbaits, with a few pushing the double-digit mark.
Best lures for stripers right now: **white or pearl swimbaits (3–5"), chrome topwaters before sunup, and bucktail jigs tossed into the current breaks**. For smallmouth, you can’t beat a green pumpkin tube or a Ned rig bounced along rocky points.
If bait’s your preference, **anchovies and cut shad** are top picks for stripers. Locals are tipping into the smallmouth bite with nightcrawlers or soft plastics fished slow. For catfish, it’s all about stinkbaits, cut mackerel, or classic chicken liver.
Hotspots? *Below Willow Beach* is producing limits if you’re in a boat—focus on the first two miles downstream for mixed bag action. Shore anglers are reporting solid numbers around *Davis Dam tailwaters*, particularly at Community Park and near Big Bend State Recreation Area. If you like a challenge, hike the shoreline above Laughlin; some of those lesser-fished coves are holding big, hungry bass.
The river is in transition mode as we press into fall: cooling water has fish moving shallower and feeding hard before winter. Pack some reaction baits in your box, bring a variety of jigheads, and don’t be afraid to switch up—sometimes just a little color change on your swimbait is all it takes on these clear, current-driven waters.
Thanks for tuning in to the Colorado River report. Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a bite, and here’s to tight lines and heavy nets this October!
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.