It may sound weird to think about fishing and Las Vegas in the same sentence, but there are some wonderful spots that can be found very near, as in within an hour, from the city that never sleeps. You will have to be willing to rent some gear and buy a license for the area. Plus, you will have to put some extra miles on that rental car of yours, and it is advised to leave the nonfishing family back at the hotel with the great pool to enjoy. You will not regret it though because there are some great experiences to have when fishing near Las Vegas.
Now, you may be wondering what some of the best places are that can be found close by for fishing. The first one is located within an hour from Las Vegas, and it is known as Lake Mead. This location is very well known for the striped bass and largemouth bass that are caught there, but they are not the only type of fish that can be caught there. If you are wanting so desperately to say you caught that trophy-class fish, then this lake is the place for you.
If you do not want to leave city limits, then Las Vegas has a little place called Floyd Lamb park, and it is stocked with largemouth bass and large catfish that people can catch if they have a fishing license for the area.
Now that you have been reassured that there are places to visit to fish while on your Las Vegas trip, this article will look closer into some of these places, which are all within 3 hours from the McCarran International Airport.
If you want a slight advantage over the other fishers, then you need the best bait, which can be found at Mystery Tackle Box. This place has costume curated boxes of bait that will be mailed to you that cannot be found in a store. Each box is curated for a different type of fish, and some of the fish types that they curate towards are bass, catfish, walleye, trout, panfish, and some inshore saltwater species.
This pond is by no means small, in fact, it is a 14-acre pond that is right in the heart of Las Vegas, which means no driving for long stretches to reach it. This pond is stocked weekly, and you can find largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and black crappie within its waters. While there is plenty of fish at the pond, you are not very likely to catch anything very large, but they will be big enough to keep you wanting more to eat and not just because of their great taste. You won't even miss the gaming venues or buffets. In order to fish here, you will have to have a Nevada fishing license and bring your own gear.
This is by far the smallest pond that can be fished within the Las Vegas area. It only has 3-acres of fishing water, but the great thing about it is that it is a small little oasis to be enjoyed within the Las Vegas desert. The pond is only 10 to 15 minutes from the McCarran International Airport, and it is located in a nice park that the nonfishing family members can enjoy, making it the best urban fishing spot in Las Vegas. This pond is stocked with only trout, but it is a great getaway location for anyone who wants to get away from the hustle of the city. While you will need a valid Nevada license, it does not have any areas that are off-limits to fishing and has no fee for accessing the pond or park.
This is the ultimate gambler's dream for fishing in Las Vegas. It is a gamble because only one of the many ponds is stocked regularly, and if you are new to the area, you will not know which one. That being said, all of the ponds within the park have fish in them, and some of the kinds of fish that can be caught are largemouth bass, bluegills, catfish, and rainbow trout. Occasionally there is even the monster-sized fish caught at the ponds, such as 20-pound channel cats and 10-pound largemouth bass. YOu have to take a 10-minute drive from the airport to get to this park, and you will have to have a license in order to fish here.
This place is often called one of the crown jewels of the southwest section of America and is very important to the city of Las Vegas because it provides the water supply to the city. It is one of the largest reservoirs that can be found in the United States, and it got this title because it spans over 150,000 acres. It is capped by the Hoover Dam, and it is fed by the Colorado River, which makes it a popular place for tourists to visit even if they are not planning to fish. The different kinds of fish that can be caught at this beautiful lake are rainbow trout, crappie, and catfish, but bass fish is the main fish that people go there to catch. The bass is so popular because it is one of the best fisheries for largemouth bass that can be found within the southwestern section of the US. The lake is within a 1-hour drive from the city, and it is almost guaranteed to catch a large fish as long as you have a fishing license.
The thing that makes this place different from others is that it is actually located right across the border of Arizona, which means you will have to have a license for Arizona. This place can be found within the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, and it is fed by the Colorado River. This means you can catch a wide selection of fish, and these kinds are panfish, rainbow trout, bass, carp, striped bass, and catfish. Some people have reported catching very large catfish and striped bass within these waters, and this is a good incentive to take the long drive away from the city, which means you also get away from the crowds around Lake Mead.
The great thing about this fishing spot is that it is still located within Nevada, which means a Nevada fishing license, and it is located near Laughlin. This is a very scenic area that spans a stretch of the Colorado River. This area boasts about being great for catching trout, but it is also good for catching carp and bass. It is a 2-hour drive from the city, but it gives you some great scenery to enjoy while fishing.
The Colorado River feeds into a lot of the great fishing spots that can be found in and around Las Vegas, which means they are perfect for fly fishing. There are plenty of different areas that can be chosen, as you can see from the extensive list above of the locations for fishing near Las Vegas.
If you want to fly fish for bass, then your best bet would be to hit up Lake Mead because it has the size you would need for successful fly fishing, but it also has a large number of bass. Tons of professionals and anglers flock to this area yearly to try and catch the biggest largemouth bass, but even with all these people flocking to the lake, it is large enough to fit plenty of people, including some on boats out on the lake. As it was stated above, this location is within 1-hour from the sitting, and while the fishing is a large draw to visit this lake, it is not the only reason. You can also enjoy some swimming, helicopter rides, sightseeing, water sports, and just walking across the Hoover Dam. This place is great for taking a break from the craziness of the city that never sleeps.
On the other hand, if fly fishing for trout is more important to you, you want to hit up different locations. Floyd Lamb Park is located within the city, but the fly fishing has to be limited because of other fishermen and children running around the park. The great thing about this park though is that also has large bass and catfish to be found within its waters. As for a place that takes some travel time, then you want to find the Colorado River, which can be found feeding into several different spots mentioned above. The Topock Gorge or Big Bend is some of the best options though because they are located right along the Colorado River. The thing with Topock is that it is actually located in Arizona, which means a different fishing license is needed, but it is well worth it. Lake Mead is another great place to consider when it comes to fly fishing for trout. This lake offers great chances for rainbow trout and as stated, has plenty of room for fly fishing. The Colorado River will always be the best though for some great fly fishing no matter for what fish but especially for trout.
Just make sure that no matter where you end up going to fish that you know the rules of the area and have the proper fishing license for that area. All but one of the area need a Nevada license, and a short-term one can be bought for your short trip, but Topock Gorge requires an Arizona license. It is also important to keep in mind the weather conditions because it can get boiling hot in Nevada in the summertime with the temperature almost at 100 degrees with high arid humidity-levels. Even if there is a nice wind blowing, you still might want to be careful because wind can actually mean a bunch of sand in your face, which makes it very hard to see and breathe. Also, it can get rather cold as the sun disappears at the end of each day, especially at night.
Now that you are prepared, go have fun doing something in the Sin City, also known as the city that never sleeps, other than losing all of the money you too with you. Also, don't forget to tell all your friends about the amazing fishing spots to be found around and in Las Vegas.