Calm days ahead on Lake Havasu: light wind through Thursday

Level check

The level reads 448.4 ft, 0.1 ft higher than a week ago and 0.4 ft down over 30 days. That puts it 0.8 ft above the usual level for this time of year. A steady level keeps fish on familiar spots, so what worked last week should still be close.

Tactics for this week

• Set your depth for 67°F water: The surface is 67°F (a few days ago). Start shallow at dawn, then slide deeper and toward shade as the light gets bright.
• Tie on the right bait: At this spot, try tube or ned rig on rock. Largemouth bass: they chase baitfish into creeks and coves.
• Work the edge, not the middle: Cover water with a moving bait first, then slow down with a jig or plastic where you get a bite. Position the boat in deep water and cast up onto the shallow side, so your bait falls down the slope the way fish face.
• Use the wind, carefully: With light wind the water is flat and fish spook easily; make long casts and go lighter on line. A light chop is a good thing: it breaks up the light and makes fish bolder.

About Lake Havasu

Lake Havasu covers about 19,300 acres at full pool. At its deepest the lake reaches around 90 ft. Striped bass, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are what most anglers on Lake Havasu are after. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

The wind forecast

The forecast for Tuesday reads mostly sunny, with a high near 83°F and a low of 60°F and a light wind from the west-northwest around 6 mph. Wednesday: sunny, a high near 83°F and a low of 59°F; near-calm air. On Thursday, sunny, a high near 84°F and a low of 62°F, with near-calm air.

How to fish calm water

Flat water is great for paddling and sight fishing, but fish see more and spook easily. Make long casts, use lighter line, and slow down near cover.

Topwater baits at dawn can be excellent on calm water. When the sun is high, switch to slower baits around cover and the first drop to deeper water.

Calm, sunny days also warm the surface of protected coves faster than the open lake. In cool months that warmer pocket can be where the afternoon bite happens.

The seasonal picture

The calendar matters as much as the thermometer. Late fall at this latitude is a season of short, strong feeding windows. Fish fatten up for winter, and they key on schools of baitfish that keep moving as the water cools. On Lake Havasu at 67°F, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fit that pattern best.

Who is biting

Striped bass on Lake Havasu are catchable with patience. This is a comfortable range for stripers and white bass; watch for birds diving on bait. Early-morning topwater, then they go deep.

Largemouth bass here are a solid pick. The 60s are a sweet spot: bass are active, roam widely and will chase moving baits. They chase baitfish into creeks and coves.

On the same water, smallmouth bass are a strong bet. Smallmouth are in their prime range in the 60s, roaming rock, gravel and drop-offs. Rocky points, humps and drop-offs.

Where we would fish first

Our pick to start on Lake Havasu is a steep ledge, marked on the map. A sharp wall beside deep water; fish hang along the edge at the depth they like. Expect smallmouth bass and striped bass there; try tube or ned rig on rock. The best window there is 5:30 am to 7:45 am.

DamDeepest water N 5 miles

Shallow to deep Free spot todayPlace to stay

See this spot in 3-D