Winter Waltz on the Colorado: Stripers, Cats, and Chilly Conditions

Hey folks, this is Artificial Lure, your go-to guy for all things fishin' on the Colorado River around Las Vegas. It's January 7th, 2026, and we're kickin' off the day at 8:33 AM with Lake Mead sittin' steady at 1,062.83 feet MSL per uslakes.info—down 166 feet from full pool but up a hair 0.08 feet since yesterday, keepin' the river flow decent for winter action.

No tides here in this desert stretch, but weather's turnin' wild. Accuweather reports cold storms sweepin' from the Cascades, bringin' cold rain east of Vegas today into tomorrow, with snow levels droppin' low—could mean slick banks and risin' muddy water, so watch your step. Sunrise hit around 7:15 AM, sunset 'bout 5:15 PM; fish bite best from dawn to mid-mornin' now as water chills to the low 50s.

Fish activity's pickin' up post-holidays—locals on Fishbrain and angler forums report solid striper schools pushin' into the river arms from Mead, with 10-20 lb classics hittin' limits near the inflows. Carp and catfish are hot too, channel cats up to 15 lbs stackin' up in eddies, and smallmouth bass grabbin' 2-4 pounders steady. Recent catches: 50+ stripers yesterday from Boulder Harbor, dozens of cats at Cottonwood Cove per trip reports.

Best lures? Go with **chartreuse or firetiger jointed swimbaits** like Rapala X-Rap for stripers—troll 'em 10-20 feet down at 2-3 mph. For bass and cats, **jigs with curly tail grubs in green pumpkin** or **cut anchovies/shad chunks** on circle hooks shine brightest. Live minnows if you can net 'em.

Hot spots: Hit the **Boulder Basin drop-offs** for stripers, and **Whipple Cove** for cats—both fire right now, but bundle up against that incoming chill.

Thanks for tunin' in, y'all—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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