Lake Havasu fishing conditions

Arizona · Lower Colorado River · 19,300 acres · max 90 ft

Clear Colorado River water, artificial reefs and a two-bass fishery

Sample dataUpdated October 19, 2026 — 12:04 AM

8.6out of 10

Current conditions

Excellent

Fishing score 86/100

How this score is calculated

Water temperature16.9 / 20

70°F and falling (-0.7°F / 3 days) against a 52–74°F active band.

Barometric pressure10.8 / 15

30.23 inHg and falling (-0.16 / 24 h).

Wind10.0 / 10

10 mph out of the NE. Ideal chop on wind-blown structure.

Water clarity8.2 / 10

10.3 ft of visibility. Very clear — downsize line and lengthen casts.

Water level10.0 / 10

+0.2 ft from normal pool and rising (+0.4 ft / 7 days).

Moon & solunar5.2 / 10

56% illumination. Quarter moon — weaker feeding periods, rely on light change.

Seasonal pattern10.0 / 10

Fall pattern is fully established, with light flow on a current-driven fishery.

Sky & rain15.0 / 15

49% cloud, 71°F air, 0 in of rain in 24 h.

What should I do today?

The single highest-percentage pattern for the conditions right now.

TargetSmallmouth Bass

Depth9–23 ft

LocationRock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps

TechniqueNed rig / drop shot

Lure2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm

ColorGreen pumpkin / smoke purple

RetrieveDrag and pause, 3–5 second pauses

Best window5:28 AM – 8:13 AM

WhyWater temperature is holding near 70°F, so the fall pattern is stable, falling pressure ahead of a change usually triggers a feeding window, a 10 mph NE wind is stacking bait on the wind-blown banks.

Backup pattern

Squarebill crankbait along hard cover for largemouth bass — Artificial habitat piles and tule edges in the coves; sight fishing is realistic in spring.

Right now

Current conditions

Water temp

70°F

▼ -0.7°F / 3 days

Air temp

71°F

49% cloud cover

Wind

10 mph

Out of the NE

Pressure

30.23"

▼ Falling pressure — a change is moving in

Water level

+0.2 ft

▲ +0.4 ft / 7 days

Clarity

10.3 ft

Light flow

Rain (24 h)

No meaningful runoff

Moon

56%

First Quarter · solunar 12/100

Sunrise

5:53 AM

Low-light window opens 25 min earlier

Sunset

4:51 PM

Evening window runs the last 2 hours

Season

Fall

Pattern driving today's plan

Best window

5:28 AM

Through 8:13 AM

Timing

Today's fishing windows

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM11 PM

Solunar minor 211:49 PM – 12:49 AM
Solunar major 25:19 AM – 7:19 AM
Morning prime window5:28 AM – 8:13 AM
Sunrise5:53 AM
Solunar minor 111:49 AM – 12:49 PM
Evening window2:51 PM – 5:26 PM
Sunset4:51 PM
Solunar major 15:19 PM – 7:19 PM

Structure

Lake structure and depth zones

Typical structure profile for Lake Havasu: man-made artificial habitats, rock points and rip-rap, the colorado river channel at both ends, submerged tules and grass in the coves. Average depth 35 ft, maximum 90 ft.

Man-made artificial habitats
Rock points and rip-rap
The Colorado River channel at both ends
Submerged tules and grass in the coves
Bridge pilings at London Bridge

Substrate

Bottom composition and why it matters

Rock 34%
Holds heat in spring and crayfish year-round — the first place smallmouth and staging bass set up.
Gravel 20%
Primary spawning substrate. Fish stack on gravel transitions when water hits the 58–66°F band.
Sand 18%
Clean bottom for bait schools and sight-feeding fish, but little cover — look for the edge where sand meets something else.
Vegetation 8%
Oxygen, shade and ambush cover. The outside grass edge is the highest-percentage line on most lakes.
Clay 6%
Holds hard bottom in stained water and dumps the most colour after rain. Crankbait banks.
Mud 6%
Warms fastest in late winter and holds wintering bait, but goes dead in the summer heat.
Brush / artificial 6%
Man-made brush piles and docks concentrate crappie and bass, especially where they sit on a depth change.
Timber 2%
Vertical cover fish use to change depth without leaving structure — key on standing timber during frontal swings.

Depth

Depth guide for today

Depth bands for today — adjusted for the fall pattern, current water temperature, cloud cover and wind.
Species	Depth today	Activity	Where they are here
Smallmouth Bass	9–23 ft	High	Rock points and current seams; drop shot in 15–30 ft is the year-round answer.
Largemouth Bass	4–13 ft	High	Artificial habitat piles and tule edges in the coves; sight fishing is realistic in spring.
Striped Bass	9–32 ft	High	Roaming schools in the main channel, especially near the river inflows.
Catfish	11–27 ft	High	Channel cats on the flats at night, best in summer.

Targets

Target species at this water

Smallmouth Bass

Rock points and current seams; drop shot in 15–30 ft is the year-round answer.

Active temp: 52–74°F
Structure: Rock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps
Technique: Ned rig / drop shot
Bait: Crayfish, leeches
Lure: 2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm (2.5"–4")
Color: Green pumpkin / smoke purple
Retrieve: Drag and pause, 3–5 second pauses
Best time: Mid-morning on cold fronts, low light in summer

Holds deep rock until water hits 48°F, moves to gravel spawning flats at 58–64°F, then splits between shallow current and 20–30 ft humps through summer.

Largemouth Bass

Artificial habitat piles and tule edges in the coves; sight fishing is realistic in spring.

Active temp: 58–82°F
Structure: Submerged grass edges, main-lake points, laydowns and dock lines
Technique: Texas rig / swimbait
Bait: Live shiners
Lure: 4.5 in paddle-tail swimbait (3.5"–5")
Color: Green pumpkin / natural shad
Retrieve: Slow to moderate, bottom contact every few feet
Best time: First 3 hours after sunrise and the last 2 before dark

Stages from wintering creek channels to secondary points at 52–58°F, spawns on hard bottom at 62–68°F, then slides to grass edges and ledges once surface water passes 78°F.

Striped Bass

Roaming schools in the main channel, especially near the river inflows.

Active temp: 55–72°F
Structure: Open-water bait schools, river channels, dam tailraces and long points
Technique: Live bait planer boards / vertical jigging
Bait: Live gizzard shad or herring
Lure: 1 oz flutter spoon or 5 in swimbait (4"–7")
Color: Chrome / pearl white
Retrieve: Vertical lift-drop or steady mid-column pull
Best time: Dawn and the hour either side of dark

Runs up major tributaries in spring at 55–65°F, suspends over the thermocline through summer, and schools on the surface chasing shad once water falls under 70°F.

Catfish

Channel cats on the flats at night, best in summer.

Active temp: 60–85°F
Structure: River channels, holes below points, flats adjacent to deep water
Technique: Anchored cut bait / drifting flats
Bait: Cut shad, skipjack, chicken liver
Lure: Circle hook 6/0–8/0 on a Santee rig (Palm-size bait chunks)
Color: n/a — scent driven
Retrieve: Static or 0.5–0.8 mph controlled drift
Best time: Sunset to midnight; all day when water is stained

Pushes shallow to spawn in rock and bank holes at 70–78°F, then feeds on channel edges at night through summer and gorges on shad in the fall.

Patterns

Season-by-season patterns

Winter

54–58°F

Deep and slow — drop shot and small jigs on 25–40 ft rock, best from late morning through afternoon.

Spring

62–74°F

Bass spawn in the coves on sand and gravel; sight fishing in 4–10 ft of clear water.

Summer

82–86°F

Early topwater on rock points, then deep habitat piles at 20–35 ft. Heavy recreational traffic after 10 AM.

Fall

66–80°F

Shad in the coves; small swimbaits and crankbaits on points produce all day.

Outlook

7-day fishing forecast

Day	Score	Water	Wind	Pressure	Level	Clarity	Best species	Technique	Best window
Today	86Excellent	70°F	10 mph NE	30.23"	+0.2 ft	10.3 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:28 AM – 8:13 AM
Tue	87Excellent	70°F	12 mph S	29.92"	+0.1 ft	12.3 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:28 AM – 8:13 AM
Wed	83Excellent	69°F	19 mph SE	30.07"	0 ft	12.9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:29 AM – 8:14 AM
Thu	83Excellent	69°F	10 mph W	29.77"	+0.7 ft	14.4 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:30 AM – 8:15 AM
Fri	87Excellent	72°F	14 mph W	29.77"	-0.9 ft	8.1 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:31 AM – 8:16 AM
Sat	87Excellent	73°F	7 mph W	30.03"	+0.7 ft	9.1 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:32 AM – 8:17 AM
Sun	85Excellent	70°F	3 mph SW	29.80"	-0.5 ft	12.3 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	5:33 AM – 8:18 AM

Trends

Last 7 days

Water temperature

-1 °F

70°F

TueToday

Barometric pressure

+0.3 "

30.233"

TueToday

Wind

+5 mph

10 mph

TueToday

Water level

0 ft

0.2 ft

TueToday

Fishing activity

-5

TueToday

Water temperature has held within 1°F all week. Stable water means the established fall pattern should keep producing.

The water

About Lake Havasu

Havasu is a clear, rocky Colorado River reservoir that holds both largemouth and smallmouth in the same water. Hundreds of man-made fish habitats built from PVC and brush sit on the flats, and the river channel at each end delivers current that concentrates fish.

Surface area: 19,300 acres
Max depth: 90 ft
Average depth: 35 ft
Elevation: 450 ft
Typical clarity: 12 ft
Annual level swing: 3 ft
Coordinates: 34.470, -114.360
Region: Lower Colorado River

Local knowledge

Expert notes

The artificial habitats are mapped and published by the state. Load them into your GPS before you launch — they are the whole offshore program here.
In summer the fishing day effectively ends around 10 AM when the wake traffic starts. Plan a 4:30 AM launch.

Logistics

Access, ramps and boating

boat ramp

Site Six ramp

Central access near London Bridge.

boat ramp

Windsor Beach (Lake Havasu State Park)

Multiple lanes, parking and camping.

kayak launch

Take-Off Point

Quiet north-end launch for small craft.

Rules

Regulations

Arizona or California license valid lake-wide under the Colorado River reciprocal agreement (with the proper stamp).
Black bass: 6 per day combined, 13 in minimum (verify current rule).
Striped bass: no size or bag limit in most Colorado River waters — confirm before the trip.
Heavy recreational boating; no-wake zones enforced in the channel.

Always verify current regulations with the relevant state wildlife agency before fishing. Arizona Game & Fish Department

Transparency

Data sources

Where this data comes from

Conditions are modelled from each water's documented climate, structure and seasonal patterns. Modules marked “Live data integration pending” are not yet pulling from their API, so those values are clearly labelled as sample data rather than presented as real-time readings.

Weather API
Pending
NOAA / National Weather Service — Air temperature, wind, cloud cover, rainfall and barometric pressure with a 7-day forecast.
Water Level & Flow API
Pending
USGS Water Services — Reservoir stage, discharge and 7-day level trend from the nearest gauge.
Water Temperature
Pending
USGS / NOAA buoys — Surface water temperature and its multi-day trend.
Tide & Current API
Pending
NOAA CO-OPS — Tide predictions, current direction and speed for coastal zones.
Moon & Solunar
Live
Computed on-site — Moon phase, illumination and solunar major/minor periods are calculated from date and coordinates.
Water Clarity
Pending
Satellite imagery + angler reports — Visibility estimates by lake arm, refined by submitted fishing reports.
Fishing Regulations
Pending
State wildlife agencies — License, size and creel rules, linked to the official agency page for verification.
Map Data
Pending
Bathymetry + access point database — Depth zones, structure locations and boat ramps for the lake infographic.