Lake Mohave Fishing Guides and Conditions, Arizona

About the Lake Mohave

Lake Mohave is the Colorado River impounded behind Davis Dam, stretching roughly 67 miles upstream through Black Canyon to the base of Hoover Dam. It is a reservoir of two very different halves. The upper portion is a narrow, cold, exceptionally clear canyon reach that behaves much like a river, fed by deep releases from Hoover; the lower portion below Cottonwood Cove opens into a broad, warm, desert basin above Davis Dam. The USGS gauge at Davis Dam reads reservoir stage at the lower end.

Striped bass are the dominant sport fish across the lake, running from abundant small schooling fish in the lower basin to occasional very large individuals. They are taken trolling and casting to surface activity in open water, and anchored bait fishing accounts for a large share of the effort. Largemouth and smallmouth bass hold on the rock and gravel shorelines throughout, with smallmouth favoring the cooler, clearer upper canyon and largemouth the warmer coves below.

The cold upper reach supports a rainbow trout fishery centered on Willow Beach, sustained by stocking into water that stays cold year-round because it comes off the bottom of Lake Mead. That combination of desert canyon scenery and cold-water trout is unusual and draws anglers who would not otherwise fish a lower Colorado reservoir. Channel catfish, crappie and bluegill fill out the warmer water.

The lake sits within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, so access, camping and boating are managed under federal rules, and an entrance fee applies. Boaters should note the abrupt transition in water temperature and clarity moving upstream, and that the canyon reach has limited places to get off the water in bad weather. Summer heat is extreme and afternoon wind through the canyon can be strong.

Access

Katherine Landing, Bullhead City — main Arizona access near Davis Dam and the USGS gauge.
Willow Beach — upper canyon ramp and marina, the center of the trout fishery.
Cottonwood Cove, Nevada — mid-lake ramp and marina with camping.
Princess Cove access — Arizona shoreline access south of Willow Beach.
Davis Camp, Bullhead City — county park with ramp and shore access below the dam.
Six Mile Cove and Nine Mile Cove — boat-in shoreline access in the mid-lake reach.
Black Canyon put-in below Hoover Dam — permitted paddle access to the uppermost reach.

Seasons

Spring: the best all-around season. Striped bass feed heavily as water warms through March and April, largemouth and smallmouth spawn on the rocky shorelines, and canyon temperatures are comfortable.
Summer: fish at first light and after dark. Striped bass school in open water, trout fishing holds up in the cold upper canyon at Willow Beach, and daytime heat is severe.
Fall: excellent. Cooling water brings striped bass and black bass back to the shorelines through October and November, with far less recreational traffic.
Winter: the trout fishery in the upper canyon is at its best, striped bass concentrate deep in the lower basin, and mild days make this a comfortable season to fish.