Lake Mead Fishing Guide

Lake Mead is a big desert lake close to Las Vegas, best known for striped bass you can catch year-round and keep in any number. Summer and fall bring surface boils of stripers chasing shad, and the lake also has largemouth and smallmouth bass, catfish, crappie and bluegill. It is part of Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

📍 Nevada and Arizona border, just east of Las Vegas. Nearest towns: Boulder City and Henderson, Nevada; Overton, Nevada (Overton Arm); Temple Bar and Meadview, Arizona.

Map: spots, ramps and marinas

★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)

Open the full Southwest & California Lakes map →

Quick facts

Lake Mead formed behind Hoover Dam, which began storing water in 1935.
At full pool (1,221.4 feet) the lake covers about 158,500 acres, runs about 110 miles up toward the Grand Canyon, and holds about 28.9 million acre-feet.
Striped bass were stocked in Lake Mead in 1969 and are now the main sport fish.
Stripers over 40 pounds are caught now and then, according to the National Park Service.
Starting in 2026, both Nevada and Arizona allow an unlimited number of striped bass of any size here.

What you can catch

striped bass
The main catch; no limit. Anchovies, shad or lures in the Overton Arm, Las Vegas Bay and Temple Bar.
largemouth bass
Weedy areas and shorelines, most active at dawn and dusk.
smallmouth bass
Rocky points and drop-offs; reaction baits work well.
channel catfish
Bottom fishing with anchovies, worms or stink bait, often in shallow water at night.
crappie
Canyon walls and clear water; minnows, worms or small jigs.
bluegill
Along canyon walls with worms, crickets or small flies.

Month by month

January	Stripers school deep around bait; jig spoons or fish anchovies near the bottom. Cooler days are comfortable for shore fishing.
February	Stripers still deep; anchovy chumming and bait fishing are steady. Bass slow.
March	Water starts warming; bass move toward rocky points and coves. Stripers bite anchovies.
April	Largemouth and smallmouth move shallow to spawn. Crappie bite along canyon walls.
May	Good bass fishing on points and brush; stripers active around bait in the Overton Arm and Boulder Basin.
June	Fish early and late. Stripers start feeding near the surface; catfish pick up at night.
July	Peak season starts (NDOW says catch rates are highest July through December). Watch for striper boils at dawn.
August	Striper boils across Boulder Basin and the Overton Arm; throw shad swimbaits and topwater. Catfish at night in the shallows.
September	Boils continue. Bass on rocky points with lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
October	Cooler weather and active stripers; topwater early, spoons when the boils stop.
November	Stripers follow shad; spoons and anchovies. Good bass fishing on points.
December	Stripers move deeper; jig spoons near bait schools and fish anchovies.

Tips

Quagga mussels are in Lake Mead: clean, drain and dry your boat and gear before leaving. Nevada-registered boats need a current Nevada AIS decal.
Summer heat is dangerous. Bring lots of water, sun protection, and fish early morning and evening.
Afternoon wind can make big open basins rough; watch the forecast and stay near shelter.
No fishing in marinas, harbors, or from boats moored inside them, and in posted areas near Hoover Dam.
Only up to two hooks may be used for bait or flies on Lake Mead (Nevada rule).

Rules and license

Nevada Department of Wildlife and Arizona Game and Fish Department (National Park Service manages the recreation area) · Official rules page ↗

Anglers 12 and older need a Nevada fishing license, a Nevada Interstate Boundary Waters license, a Nevada short-term permit, or an Arizona fishing license. Arizona no longer requires a special-use stamp for these waters.
Striped bass: no limit and no size limit, starting 2026 in both Nevada and Arizona. (This does not apply to the Colorado River below Davis Dam.)
Nevada daily limits for Lake Mead: 5 trout, 6 black bass, 25 catfish, 15 crappie. Arizona raised its catfish limit here to 25 to match.
Possession limit in Nevada is two times the daily limit.
Spear fishing for striped bass is allowed in Lake Mead (rules apply near docks and swim areas).

Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.

Boat ramps and marinas

The map above shows 12 boat ramps and 2 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.

Boulder Harbor Launch Ramp (Closed)
Callville Bay Marina
Hemenway Harbor Launch Ramp
Lake Mead Marina
Pearce Ferry Take-Out

Sources

Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.