Location
& Overview Lake
Mead is located just half an hour's drive from Las Vegas, in the Lake
Mead National Recreation Area along the border between Nevada and Arizona.
Created in 1935 with the completion of what is now Hoover Dam, the lake
is 110 miles in length and boasts over 600 miles of shoreline (check
out the map). To us,
that translates into just one thing: lots and lots of places to fish!
Fishin'
Lake Mead Prime
targets for Lake Mead anglers are striped bass and largemouth bass,
which can be found throughout the lake all year round. Any bass fishing
is best done from a boat, so that you can cover a lot of ground quickly
if a given area doesn't pan out for you. The best season for stripers
is from late summer or early fall into winter, when the fish congregate
near the surface to feed on schooling shad. Casting into the resulting
"boils" can result in some very exciting topwater action.
A good tactic for striper fishermen is to use one pole to fish with
bait close to the boat or shore, while keeping a second pole with
a topwater lure such as a Zara Spook handy. Lures with a black or blue back and silver or white underside tend to work best. When a boil starts within casting range, throw
the lure into it and hang on! Fishermen also take largemouth bass
on a variety of artificial baits at any time of the year, and a number
of competitive bass tournaments are held at Lake Mead. Rubber lizards
tend to work well on nesting bass during spawning season, and all
year long fishermen get good results with plastic worms, jigs, and
assorted topwater baits. Water conditions are usually clear during
the winter months, but become murky when the water heats up in summer.
Choose your lure colors accordingly.
Catfish
can also be caught throughout the lake, while crappie, bluegill, and
green sunfish are most prevalent in the Overton Arm. Rainbow trout
are stocked in Lake Mead as well, and are caught primarily around
the Boulder Beach/Hemenway area and below Hoover Dam in Lake Mohave
near Willow Beach and Cottonwood Cove.
The
Nevada Division of Wildlife has the latest fish
stocking reports for Lake Mead, and all of southern Nevada, on their
website.
Climate
& Conditions Remember
that since this is a man-made reservoir, water levels can and do fluctuate.
Not only does this mean that fishing spots may change drastically (or
even disappear) from one year to the next, but also boaters on the lake
must be cautious and watch closely for unmarked navigation hazards.
Additionally, winds can become very strong, very quickly, creating significant
swells and chop in the unprotected basin areas. Always check your charts
and the latest weather report before going out, and know what to expect.
Lake
Mead water temperatures can range from the lower 50's during the winter
into the 80's during summertime. Air temperatures run the gamut from
an average daytime high in the 50's in wintertime to 110 or hotter during
July and August. Since the lake sits in the middle of a desert, there
is very little shade or shelter available to keep the sun off of you
during the hot season. Sunscreen, a hat, and lots of water are a must!
Click
here
to see current weather conditions and forecasts for Laughlin, NV.
Lodging
& Camping
Lodging
is available in the nearby towns of Boulder City, Henderson, and Las
Vegas, and at Lake Mead Lodge (located near Lake Mead Marina). Campgrounds
and RV spaces with hookups are also available; check out the National
Park Service page on Lake
Mead camping and lodging for more information, including fees. Full
service marinas with boat ramps and small general stores are located
at Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead Marina, Callville Bay, Echo Bay, Overton
Beach, and Temple Bar. Launch ramps (with no other facilities) are also
located at Hemenway Harbor, South Cove, and Pearce Ferry. The marina
general stores are geared primarily for recreational boaters, but they
do offer a limited stock of basic fishing tackle. Our advice if you're
looking for fishing gear would be to stop at Bass
Pro Shops in Las Vegas before hitting the lake - they carry everything
you would need, and a bunch of stuff you probably don't need but would
really like to have.
Licensing
& Regulations
Since Lake
Mead is border water, fishing from a boat or float tube on the lake
requires both a fishing license from either Arizona or Nevada and a
special use stamp from the other state. For shore fishing, you just
need a license from whichever state's bank you're on. Both Nevada and
Arizona offer a "Second Pole" stamp which allows an angler
to fish with up to two poles, and both require a trout stamp if you
plan to catch and keep trout. Fishing licenses and all the necessary
stamps are available at any of Lake Mead's full-service marinas, as
well as at tackle shops and sporting goods stores throughout the Las
Vegas area.
While
most of Lake Mead is open for fishing at all times, there are certain
waters closed to fishing. These include:
- Within
the posted boundaries of any state or federal fish hatchery.
- Within the areas immediately above and below Hoover Dam.
- Within areas designated as harbors.
