Colorado River Las Vegas Report: Stripers, Cats, and Trout in the Clear, Cool Tailwater

Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Colorado River Las Vegas report.

Out here below Hoover Dam there’s no tide to worry about, just steady releases from the dam, so flows can bump up and down through the day. Watch the current: rising, pushy water usually fires up the striped bass; softer seams favor catfish and panfish.

Weather-wise, the valley is running cool and clear with a light north breeze. A recent cold storm train through the interior West has dropped temps and left the air dry and crisp, but roads and ramps around the river corridor are open. Mornings are chilly, warming quickly by mid‑day, so plan your best bite around late morning into early afternoon once the sun hits the water.

Sunrise is right around that 7 o’clock hour with sunset a bit after 5, giving you a short but solid winter window. Low‑light periods are still prime for bigger stripers and smallmouth nosing into the rocks.

Recent chatter from local anglers and shop talk along the Colorado below the dam down toward Willow Beach and Cottonwood points to a mixed bag:
- Schoolie **striped bass** have been steady, with the odd better fish pushing into the teens.
- **Channel catfish** are coming on cut baits after dark and in the deeper eddies.
- A few **rainbow trout** show up near stocking areas and cooler inflows.

Best producers lately:
- For stripers:
• Medium swimbaits in shad and trout patterns
• 1/2–3/4 oz jigging spoons in chrome or white
• Bucktail jigs slow‑rolled along current breaks
- For cats:
• Cut anchovy remains the local classic
• Chicken liver or stink baits fished on the bottom in slower holes
- For trout:
• Small inline spinners in gold or silver
• PowerBait nuggets or salmon eggs on light line

A couple of hot spots to circle:
- **Willow Beach stretch**: Cold, clear water, steady current, and a shot at heavier stripers, especially where the river tightens and swirls. Work the deep green slots and rock faces with big swimbaits early, then downsize once the sun’s up.
- **Colorado River below Laughlin**: Current softens into wide runs and bends. Good place to work swimbaits and spoons for schoolie stripers, then soak cut bait in the deeper holes as the light fades.

Winter fish can be moody, so slow everything down: longer pauses on the swimbait, gentle hops with the spoon, and give your cut bait time to soak. Downsizing line to 8–12 lb fluoro on the artificials helps in this clear tailwater.

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