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Striped Bass

Striped Bass

Striped Bass in Arizona are not native but have established thriving populations in the Colorado River system since first being stocked in 1959. These anadromous fish, originally from the Atlantic coast, have adapted remarkably well to Arizona's reservoirs.

Scientific Name: Morone saxatilis

Physical Characteristics:
  • Adults typically weigh 1-2 pounds but can reach over 50 pounds, with some trophy fish exceeding 13-30 pounds reported from various lakes.

What to know

Habitat Distribution

  • Colorado River system reservoirs in Arizona.

Key Locations

  • Key locations include Lake Havasu's Site Six, Main Channel, and Havasu Springs areas; Lake Powell's dam areas and coves; and Lake Mead's deeper sections.
  • Arizona's reservoirs including Lake Powell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu.

Specific Spots

  • Fish aggregating near structures like Glen Canyon Dam where current helps suspend their semi-buoyant e.g.gs.
  • Fish often school and chase bait aggressively, creating surface feeding opportunities visible by bird activity and boiling water.

Striped Bass FAQ

Answers from onWater's species guide.

What are the best lures and bait for Striped Bass in Arizona?

Spoons, kastmaster lures, Alabama rigs with shad-pattern swimbaits, drop-shot rigs with anchovies or live shad, topwater lures like spooks and poppers, trolling setups with diving plugs, cut or live bait on circle hooks.

What flies work for Striped Bass in Arizona?

Top fly patterns include squid imitations like the Red Can Squid and Mud Dog Squid Fly in pink/orange colors for larger squid or white for smaller ones, generic baitfish patterns like Clousers and Deceivers, and shad imitations.

When is the best time to fish for Striped Bass in Arizona?

Lake Havasu offers excellent early season opportunities as it warms before other Arizona waters, with spawning activity beginning as early as March in the bays closest to the river.

How do you catch Striped Bass in Arizona?

Night fishing can be highly productive using submersible lights to attract baitfish, then fishing cut or live bait on circle hooks in the light's periphery.

What do Striped Bass eat?

Arizona's stripers are opportunistic predators that feed heavily on threadfin shad, their primary forage fish, though they also consume gizzard shad, small fish, and zooplankton.

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