Fall Feast on the Colorado River: Stripers, Bass, and Catfish Bonanza
Fishing the Colorado River in and around Las Vegas this morning, October 8, 2025, the desert’s cool dawn gave way to a picture-perfect fall day—clear skies, gentle breezes, and a high near 86°F, as forecast by local Laughlin weather services. Sunrise hit at 6:37 a.m. with sunset expected at 6:18 p.m., giving anglers plenty of time on the water. Tidal influence here is minimal compared with coastal systems, so best action comes with low-light and steady weather rather than chasing a tide chart.Recent fishing has been hot, especially as striped bass move into their classic fall feeding pattern. According to Hooked On Stripers out of Willow Beach, night anglers have been slamming trophy stripers, including some pushing the 20-pound mark. Just last week, evenings saw several limits hit with solid fish in the 4-10 pound range. The all-time Nevada state record striper (67+ pounds) was caught at Willow Beach and the spot continues to produce best around sunset and first light before motorboat traffic picks up.Daytime fishing is solid too, with smallmouth and largemouth bass active along rocky points and drop-offs. Reports from local guides and forums say you can expect to catch stripers, channel catfish, largemouth, and plenty of panfish. Catfish bite is better late afternoon into dusk, with some double-digit cats landed recently off deeper shelves near coves.Best baits right now for stripers are live shad and anchovies, but if you want to throw artificials—bring your swimbaits in white or silver, especially paddletail varieties for deeper troughs. If you prefer hard baits, big topwater lures like the River2Sea Whopper Plopper, and classic pencil poppers early or late, have been drawing explosive hits. For bass, soft plastics on drop-shots or shaky heads along brush piles or submerged rock, as well as crankbaits in threadfin shad patterns, are producing.Catfish respond well to cut baits—chicken liver and stinkbait are the standards at night, especially below the Hoover Dam. Don’t overlook the humble nightcrawler, either, which is catching plenty of sunfish and smaller whisker cats.This week, boaters and kayakers focused on these key hot spots:- **Willow Beach**: Best for evening and night striper action, especially trolling deep-diving plugs or drifting live bait near the marina lights. - **Davis Dam Tailwater and Community Park**: Prime for mixed bags—stripers are stacked up in current breaks early, while smallmouth relate to ledges and gravelly runs.Remember, zebra mussels are being closely monitored around willow and Mohave; clean, drain, and dry your gear to help keep this fishery healthy. Water clarity is excellent, with slight stain after recent wind, and lake levels are steady though the river is running seasonally low—so stay alert in shallow channels.Locals are reporting the best bite coincides with cooler, calm mornings and the two hours before sunset. With less pleasure boat traffic as the season turns, the river is prime for serious anglers right now.Thanks for tuning in to today’s Colorado River fishing report! If you want more action and local knowledge, be sure to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1PnThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI