Lake Havasu - The lake level is 447.71 feet.

Large shad schools are still holding around the buoy line at the Bill Williams River. Easy limits of stripers can be had in this area using live shad, trolling pointer 128s, sassy shads or ratl traps in the morning hours from 7 a.m. until about 10 a.m.

Some quality stripers are being caught at the Site Six dock using snagged shad or green-tailed bass assassins on a 3/8- or 1/2-ounce leadhead.

Largemouth bass fishing is slow with just a few fish being caught on small shad color crank baits and dropshotted roboworms in 8-20 feet of water off reef points or bays and coves over submerged grassbeds.

This report was provided by John Galbraith of Anglers Pro Shop -- Lake Havasu.

Arizona Game & Fish

LAKE POWELL - Winter fishing will be much better this year than in the past.

Winds and arctic cold temperatures have caused the lake surface temperature to drop 2 degrees in two days.

The wind is still blowing resulting in more rapid cooling. This unusual rapid temperature drop signals the imminent arrival of “turnover.”

Lake Powell will lose thermal stratification this week as the upper hundred feet of water mixes and becomes the same temperature throughout. The deepest part of the lake (more than 200 feet) does not mix every year so there is still a distinction between water layers.

This type of mixing pattern is referred to as “warm meromictic,” meaning the water layers do not mix all the way to the bottom. Most meromictic lakes have no oxygen on the bottom during the summer stratification. When turnover occurs, fish are able to range into the newly oxygenated water layers and travel through a larger portion of the lake. The phenomenon is marked by an increase in feeding activity.

That is not the case in Lake Powell where oxygen is normally present throughout the water column in all seasons. So turnover here does not have the same significance to anglers that is common in some other waters. At Lake Powell, it just means that the water got colder and warm water fish have slowed down.

Expect slower fishing in most of the lake with the exception of White Canyon. The abundance of hungry game fish and forage make it likely that fishing will continue to be very good near Hite.

Colder temperatures and storm fronts will cause all fish to descend deeper in the water column. Those that have been successfully trolling near White Canyon with shallow running Lucky Craft baits will now find it better to use deeper diving lures. Norman “suspending” Little N's and other deep divers that troll about 20 feet deep will now catch more fish than those trolling the upper 10 feet.

It is still possible to launch at the gravel ramp near the historical site of the floating Hite marina. Stripers are the most common fish to catch but fat walleye and big crappie will hit the full size deep-diving lures.

Over the rest of the lake expect slower fishing. “Slower” at Powell means catching only 20 fish instead of 100 when fishing for stripers. As fish are stressed from poor forage conditions, they cannot rest and have to keep searching for food. It will be common to find schools of stripers searching for food in shallow water throughout the winter.

Cast a topwater chugger or slow rolling spinner bait in shallow flood plains at the back of the canyon and around grass beds and tumbleweed piles. Locate a school of stripers and catch lots of fish in a short time. When they quit hitting artificial lures break out the anchovies to catch more fish.

Keep all the stripers caught to help balance the game fish with limited forage.

This report was provided by Wayne Gustaveson.

LEES FERRY - The afternoon temperatures have been reaching around 45 degrees.

The predicted river flows for December are 9,000 cubic feet per second at 6:00 a.m. to 17,000 cfs by 7:00 p.m. decreasing to 11,000 cfs by midnight, Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, release fluctuations will likely vary between a low of 9,000 cfs to a high of 16,000 cfs. On Sundays, the flows will vary from 9,000 to 15,500 cfs.

Fly Fishing has been reportedly the fishing was slow. A dry dropper, San Juans and midges have produced a few strikes.

The fly of choice for walk-in fishing has been a small pink scud or a zebra midge. Other flies that have produced strikes are orange and red San Juan worms and ginger/deer-hair back scuds.

For spin fishing, use a 1/4-ounce chrome KastMasters when back trolling over water at a depth of 8-12 feet. Give the KastMaster time to sink before starting the retrieve. When retrieving the KastMaster, give it a twitch or two to create a wobble, which creates a floundering appearance.

Also try Mepps spinners, specifically the Black Fury in shallower water. Another technique is a deep rig with weight and either a glo bug or a crème lure (translucent brown), bounced on the bottom.

The forecast indicates that fishing will likely continue to improve with calm weather conditions.

This report was provided by Lees Ferry Anglers.

LAKE MEAD - No new reports.

The lake level continues to be fairly stable at about 1,126 feet.

As the water has cooled, the stripers have become more active. Look for striper boils during the day. Almost anything will work when the fish are boiling.

If boils are not visible, try slow-trolling to locate schools of striped bass. Once a boil is located, drop anchor and fish. At night, use cut anchovies fished beneath crappie lights. 

The ramp is still open at South Cove. The launching is shallow.

LAKE MOHAVE - No new reports.

As the water cools down, both stripers and catfish should begin to bite well. Anchovies are the most popular bait for stripers, but shrimp or squid will also work.

Davis Dam has plenty of shoreline for numerous anglers to enjoy the fishing. Cabinsite and Telephone Cove also provide plenty of shoreline-fishing access.

If fishing from a boat, try dropping anchor in 30 feet or more at night and use crappie lights. If fish have not been caught within 1 1/2 hours, move to a different spot.

Nevada Telephone Cove and the power lines have been good for stripers and largemouth bass. Also, there is a wheelchair-accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine's Landing.

WILLOW BEACH - No new reports.

Access to Willow Beach by road has been reopened.

Trout are stocked every Friday. Trout fishing has been fair. Both Power Bait and spinners are working well.

As the water has cooled, many of the large stripers appear to have moved to the main body of the lake, but big fish are still being caught.

TOPOCK MARSH - No new reports.

Catfish and bass are still biting well along the north dike shoreline. Schools of threadfin shad have been sighted in the same area, which is probably causing the feeding by predators.

Look for the shad when the water is flowing into the marsh. It is not uncommon to catch catfish over 10 pounds. Chicken livers or anchovies are easy to find and both work well as bait. They can be used alone or in combination with various forms of stink bait.

The marsh can be accessed by boat at North Dike, Catfish Paradise and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing.

For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/

southwest/refuges/arizona/

havasu/index.html.

PARKER STRIP - Fishing for smallmouth bass is slow.

Most of the fish being caught are in the 2-pound range. Try drifting a soft-plastic bait with the current along the bottom and keep a close eye on it.

Redear and other sunfish are in the deeper water now with not much action. Night crawlers can be productive.

At sunset, Catfish will bite on chicken livers. Try some of the holes off Patria Flats.

Stripers are still biting below the dam. Use live shad and drift them in the fast current.

The outlook for smallmouth bass weighing more than two pounds is expected to be good.  Additionally, the conditions for redear sunfish weighing more than a pound should also be good.

Channel and flathead catfish are always fair in this section of the Colorado River. Below the dam, striper fishing should also be fair using anchovies.

MARTINEZ LAKE/COLORADO RIVER - This area should be fair for both smallmouth bass (in the channel) and largemouth bass (in the backwaters) throughout the entire area.

Channel and flathead catfish are always fair to good in this section of the Colorado River. Most of the flathead catfish will be in the 2- to 5-pound size range with an occasional fish weighing more than 30 pounds. The best time to fish for both species of catfish is in the evening to midnight.