Mornin’ folks, Artificial Lure here with your Lake Mead fishing report. If you’re headin’ out today, bundle up – it’s chilly on the water, especially early. Sunrise is around 6:45 AM and sunset’s just after 4:30 PM, so you’ve got a short window to make the most of the light.

The weather’s been cold but mostly clear, with light winds out of the north. No big storms rollin’ in, so conditions should stay fishable. Lake Mead’s water temps are hoverin’ in the low 50s, which means stripers and bass are slowin’ down but still feedin’ – just not as aggressive as they were in fall.

Tides aren’t a big factor here since we’re landlocked, but water levels are still low. The lake’s way below full pool, so a lot of the old spots are now way out in the open. That said, the recent rains and runoff in the Colorado River Basin have helped stabilize storage in Lake Powell and Mead, so we’re not dropping as fast as we were last year.

Stripers are the name of the game right now. Anglers are catchin’ decent numbers of slot-sized fish, mostly in the 18- to 24-inch range, with a few bigger ones mixed in. Most are suspended in deeper water, 40 to 70 feet down, especially near drop-offs and points. Smallmouth and largemouth bass are still active too, but they’re huggin’ deeper structure and brush piles, not up shallow like they were in summer.

Best bite’s been early and late – first hour after sunrise and the last hour before dark. Midday’s tougher, but if you find a school, they’ll stay on the bite for a while.

For stripers, live shad is still the gold standard if you can get it. If not, big swimbaits and umbrella rigs are workin’ well on the downlines. Deep-divin’ crankbaits in shad patterns are producin’ too, especially along the main lake points and near the old river channels.

Bass are respondin’ to finesse stuff – shaky heads, drop shots, and small jigs around rock piles and submerged trees. Slow-rollin’ a white or chartreuse spinnerbait along the edges can also trigger a reaction bite.

Two hot spots to try: First, the Overton Arm, especially around the old railroad trestle and the deeper flats near the mouth. That’s where a lot of the shad are stackin’ up, and stripers are right behind them. Second, the Boulder Basin side near the dam – fish the ledges and points in 50 to 70 feet, and don’t be afraid to go deep with downlines and heavy jigs.

If you’re on the water, keep an eye on your electronics. Find the bait, and you’ll find the fish. And remember, it’s cold – dress for it and stay safe.

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