Striper fishing on Lake Havasu has been steady as we move deeper into fall. Sunrise is now around 7:15 AM, and water temps are finally holding under 70°, sitting near 67° all day on the 16th. With the storm system that rolled in on the 15th and expected to linger until the 21st, plus daytime highs only in the mid-60s, we should see temps continue dropping and the lake gradually clearing. I’ve spent most of my time from Standard Wash to Havasu Springs, where I’ve consistently marked heavy bait schools. Yesterday my clients slid onto a quick morning boil at Standard Wash and landed 5–6 stripers in about 20 minutes. Before the storm, I was getting reliable 2–4 lb fish between Black Meadow Landing and Bluegill Cove by watching the birds and relying on the graph—several mornings the screen was stacked top to bottom with striper. Reports up north have been mixed, with some anglers catching on jigs and others only on bait. During a recent three-hour trip with a family of six, the Sod Farm was loaded with fish, producing steady action even though size was smaller. Birds are becoming more aggressive each day, and with cooler water settling in, we should see the pattern tighten up soon. Most of our recent fish have come on jigging spoons and anchovies, though I’ll be adding paddle tails back into the rotation as clarity improves. Overall, conditions are shaping up for a strong late-fall bite.

Water temps have cooled off, sitting around 68° in the early mornings and warming to about 71° by the afternoon. Sunrise is just after 7 AM, and mornings have been calm with light wind—building out of the south later in the day. The lake is still turning over, leaving the north end pretty green and murky, while the south end is starting to clear up thanks to more wind and current flow. Trolling has been on the slower side overall, but the fish we’re catching have been solid quality. On Nov 5, I landed a fat, healthy striper just shy of 5 lbs on a 6" paddle tail. I’ve been running 4"–6" pearl and white paddle tails on 1 oz jig heads, as well as dark-colored lipless crankbaits early and white once the sun hits the water. With visibility still low, I’ve been adding a touch of Pro-Cure gel scent, which has made a noticeable difference in converting short strikes into hookups. Productive trolling and casting zones include Pilot Rock down to Standard Wash, The Sod Farm, and Copper Canyon up to Grass Island, all holding good bait and striper activity. Boils have been inconsistent—no solid pattern yet—but when they go off, it’s fast and furious. The Three Dunes area continues to produce the best morning action, with boils starting 20 minutes before sunrise and lasting about an hour. Fish there have been 2–4 lbs and hitting jigging spoons, paddle tails, and blade baits. Up north, Thompson Bay has seen smaller, 1–1.5 lb fish, but the boils there sometimes linger into the late morning, giving anglers more time to work them. When the bite slows, bait fishing with anchovies remains reliable and brings plenty of mixed catches—stripers and channel cats. Some of the best bait spots have been Grass Island, Thompson Bay, and out in front of the Casino. Clients have been catching non-stop schoolie striper mixed with a few quality fish throughout the day. Overall, fishing has been steady to strong, and with water temps continuing to fall, the bite should only get better!

Water temps over the last few days have been holding in the low 70s during the mornings and climbing to around 72° by late afternoon. Sunrise has been right around 7 AM, and overall conditions have been steady with light winds and mild fall weather. I’ve been all over the lake the past few days running charters and scouting, so here’s a breakdown by location and technique. Sod Farm to the Casino: I haven’t spent a ton of time up this way recently, but I did dedicate a morning to checking it out. We started working the Sod Farm and had mild success pulling fish on a 6” paddle tail. I marked a fair amount of bait, though the shad are still grouped in smaller pods rather than big, dense schools. Once the water cools off a bit more, we should see those shad bunch up tighter and attract more aggressive striper. Out in front of the Casino, the bite has been fast and furious right as the sun hits the water, but it slows quickly. You’ll often see a solid school on the graph one minute and it’s gone the next — they’re clearly chasing and feeding on the move. Thompson Bay to Steamboat Cove: There’s tons of bait in this stretch, and it’s been producing good opportunities for striper boils. Many of the fish in this area have been quality 2–4 pounders, especially if you can get on the boil early. The biggest fish this week actually came from this area — my 4-year-old son landed a beautiful striper just over 5 pounds! The boils here have been short-lived, firing up as soon as the sun breaks the horizon and tapering off within the hour. Once that happens, switch gears to bait fishing or throwing lures. The lake is still turning over, so visibility is limited, but as that clears, expect the jig bite to improve once the morning boil dies off. Be sure to keep a pair of binoculars handy — scanning for birds working the water is the best way to find active fish. On Sunday, despite 15 mph winds, I located a large group of birds over Thompson Bay. Even in tough conditions, we were able to throw lures and pull a few solid fish from those boils. From Pilot Rock to Steamboat Cove, I’ve been marking good striper schools working shad, and we’ve had excellent success casting jigs directly above them for quality fish. Black Meadow Landing, Three Dunes, & Cattail Cove: These areas have been producing boils with much more consistency. I’ve also been marking tons of bait, and they’re balled up tighter together than in other parts of the lake. My customers have been throwing blade baits, paddle tails, and jigs in all the coves throughout this stretch and continue to catch high numbers of striper of all sizes — even when we’re not directly on an active boil. Bonus Note – Catfish: Channel cats are starting to school up with the fall pattern in full swing. We’ve been catching back-to-back channels in the same holes — often while fishing for striper. Don’t hesitate to drop a bottom rig to take advantage of the opportunity. If you catch one, there’s a good chance another is nearby. Fishing is only getting better as the lake cools down!