Fishing Lake Havasu in Mohave County, Arizona

• Overview

  Lake Havasu is set in Mohave County, Arizona. This is open dry country ground. This is big water, about 29.0 sq miles, and in a wind it behaves like a small sea. The bank is deeply indented, so shelter is easy to find in any wind. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mohave County list. Some 3.2 miles away sits Lake Havasu City, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Henderson, 113 miles away. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Lake Havasu

  Depth is on record at 90 ft. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Public wildlife records from this area list striped bass, common carp, bluegill, flathead catfish and rainbow trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Lake Havasu the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 95°F in July and bottoms out near 53°F in January. Cold never becomes a factor on this one. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. Lake Havasu runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The shoreline is public, so the licence is the main requirement. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Mockingbird Wash, 5.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Lake Havasu if anything is unclear.