Nevada fishing report, Jan. 8, 2020

Lake Mead — Live shad continue to be the most productive bait for striped bass. Anglers reportedly are netting the shad in the Vegas Wash area. Stripers are being found in coves and along steep canyon walls in 50 to 70 feet of water. Action for largemouth and smallmouth bass is slow. A few fish have been caught out of Callville Bay using watermelon-colored soft baits.

Lake Mohave — Various coves north and south of Cottonwood Cove have been producing striped bass around the 5-pound mark. Stripers are hitting on anchovies while trolling and on swimbaits in trout and shad patterns. The Willow Beach Fish Hatchery plants rainbow trout each Friday, and fishing has been good. The fish are hitting yellow and red baits.

Laughlin — Fishing was light over the past week. Some anglers are catching rainbow trout from the shoreline below Big Bend State Recreation Area using sunset PowerBait and silver spinners. Stripers will be found just behind the trout, so look for areas where the current switches direction or shadows in the water.

Las Vegas urban ponds — The Nevada Department of Wildlife planted trout this week. Ponds in Mesquite and Beatty also were on the agenda. Stocked rainbows have been taking a variety of baits and lures, including rainbow PowerBait, night crawlers and spinners. Mepp’s and Rooster Tails generally are good options. Some of the trout have been hitting jointed swimbaits and spinnerbaits. With the warmer, bright days, a bass might even hit your offering.

Kirch Wildlife Management Area — All reservoirs are covered with thin ice. Conditions are unsafe for fishing and other on-the-ice activity. Visitors should use extreme caution and avoid cloudy ice.

Eagle Valley Reservoir — Ice on the reservoir is 8 to 10 inches thick. Always verify ice conditions before venturing out too far. Stormy weather is expected this weekend. Contact Spring Valley State Park at 775-962-5102 for up-to-date ice conditions.

Echo Canyon Reservoir — Ice around the shoreline remains thin, and some areas in the center of the reservoir remain open. Available ice is too thin to walk on. Contact the park at 775-962-5103 for current ice conditions.

Upcoming events — The NDOW is holding a variety of fishing classes. Visit https://www.registered.com/programs/nevada/210-angler-education for more information and registration.

Nevada Department of Wildlife