LAKE HAVASU

Submitted Photo courtesy of John Galbraith. David J. Smith, of Torrance, Calif., shows off his Colorado River record Redear Sunfish. Smith caught the 4.14 pound, 17. 25 inch fish Feb. 16 on a Dropshot worm on 8 pound test line at the Metropolitan Water District intake at the south end of Lake Havasu.

Lake level: 448.35.

Early morning striper bite has been good during the first two hours of daylight trolling anchovies and casting White ratl traps, stump jumpers and green tailed salt water assassins rigged on three-eighths to half ounce leadheads. Look for gulls flying low on shad rising to the surface to escape stripers chasing them.

Night bite is slowing as temperatures rise and shad start moving to open water. Troll anchovies slow (about two mph) with two- plus ounces of lead, and the anchovy should be skipping on the bottom to provoke strikes from stripers searching the bottom for wounded shad and crawdads.

Smallmouth action is taking off with lots of smallies moving shallow to spawn. Four-inch curly or straight tailed Roboworms in Chartreuse, pearl or white colors rigged texas or dropshot style will work great on these aggressive bass.

Please practice catch and release during this time to give our smallies a chance to reproduce and make our fishery even better.

Report courtesy of John Galbraith of BassTackleMaster.com, Lake Havasu City.

LAKE POWELL

No new reports. Winter conditions prevail.

LEES FERRY

Fly Fishing: Fishing has been good the last few days, plenty of fish to net but nothing real big to report. I was told (Jan. 30) that it started out a bit slow in the morning hours but, picked up good in the afternoon hours.

Fish can be caught using a trifecta of different methods. First choice would be long drifts, sight casting to spawners, and sight casting to rising fish. We are also seeing signs of progress for a strong spawn this year. Combined with minimal traffic, things can’t get much better.

Walk in: I have had only a few reports for this section. Word has it fishing well in the morning hours then slowing up somewhere around noon. When the flows peak fishing shuts off in this area and starts up again after 3-4 p.m. We are still counting on the zebra midge and San Juan worm to do the work, and they are.

Spin Fishing: All the reports I have receive for spin fishing are good. Most folks are using the large glo-bugs while drifting and cashing in. And I am getting other reports that gold spinners are doing well. And the marabou jig is producing a good number of trout.

Report courtesy of Lees Ferry Anglers, http://www.leesferry.com/report/index.php.

LAKE MEAD

The Lake Mead water level has been rising nearly one-foot per week. The current level is around 1,101 feet above msl.

The striper bite has been slow. If you want to find the stripers, look for shad on your fish finder. They should be in 40- to 50-feet deep. The stripers are usually underneath them in 60- to 70-feet. Trolling may be your best bet.

Launching conditions at South Cove will remain fair. The concrete ramp the National Park Service completed last year is two lanes with cones marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. National Park Service is working to keep the ramp open. Temple Bar Launch Ramp is two lanes. Launching conditions in general are better at Temple Bar than South Cove.

LAKE MOHAVE

The lake level is around 644 feet above msl.

Trolling with anchovies in 30-50ft has been producing stripers, while catfish are on the bottom.

Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife with the help of volunteers, National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation personnel have continued to install fish habitat in Carp Cove, Box Cove and now Shoshone. Fish habitat consists of PVC structures, wood pallet structures, tamarisk bundles, and some Christmas trees. The largemouth, bluegill and catfish are really utilizing the new structures. Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years. These structures are fish magnets.

WILLOW BEACH

Trout are stocked every Friday. Fishing is usually best immediately following the stocking.

TOPOCK MARSH

The water level is down for the winter. Fishing for crappie has been fair. Some anglers are catching bass as well.

Game and Fish Biologists surveyed Topock the first week in February. Bass, crappie and catfish populations seem to be much improved over last year and continue to do well.

You can access the marsh by boat at the North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too.

PARKER STRIP

No new report.

Smallmouth bass, with fish over 2-pounds in size are expected. In addition, redear sunfish should also be fair in the pound-plus sizes.

The Parker Strip is well known for its smallmouth bass fishing, especially in the area from the dam to several miles downstream.

Channel and flathead catfish fishing is always fair in this section of the Colorado River. Below the dam, striper fishing may pick up using live shad or anchovies.