Let’s go fishing in the Desert. Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? Anybody that has visited Lake Havasu will tell you that it can be the most amazing fishing trip you will ever experience.

Team tournament events this fall regularly turned out multiple 5 fish limits over 20 pounds. Some events took over 25 pounds to win. Not sounding too strange anymore? Grab a couple of rods and a handful of jigs and follow FLW Tour Co-Angler Mark White on a tour of the town.

Lake Havasu City is unique in that there are many private homes that rent on a short term basis. A group of guys can rent a really nice 3 bedroom home within minutes of a launch ramp for around $200 a night. Many homes have boat deep garages and R/V parking with hook-ups.  “The private homes seem more secure and comfortable than a motel” says White. “Keeping the boat in a shady garage instead of a motel parking lot makes prepping for a day on the water much easier.” Add the convenience of a full kitchen, multiple bathrooms and possibly a private pool; a short term home rental is worth your consideration.

 After you get settled in the next order of business is to get your license. There are a few options here. Lake Havasu is located on the Colorado River splitting California and Arizona. The two states have a reciprocal agreement to recognize each other’s license with a use stamp. If you do not have an Arizona or California license, visit Angler’s Pro Shop at 362 London Bridge Rd. They can fix you up with a license and also carry a wide selection of quality fishing gear and tackle. You will usually find a local or two hanging around to help you with the inside track on the bite.  White adds, “plan your trip after the end of February. Fishing Havasu in the spring can yield lots of 4 pound average Smallmouth“.

Havasu fishermen are fortunate to have several quality launch facilities to choose from along its 26 mile length. Most tournaments go out of the Windsor State park facility.  The Windsor facility has two multiple lane ramps and a large parking area. There is a fee to use this facility but it is a very nice, well located option for fishing the upper lake or going up river to explore the many backwaters.

 For the budget minded angler Site Six is a free launch facility on the island in the center of town. Traffic can be difficult on the island on the weekends. Especially if visiting in the spring or summer. The ramp is a bit steep and the parking lot is small. But hey, it’s free.

 Another popular option is the State park facility at Cattail Cove. This ramp is on the south end of the lake near the Bill Williams River and the Parker Dam.  Like other State parks there is a fee to use this facility.

 With all of these options a fisherman can cover most of the lake without burning a lot of boat fuel. It also gives the angler safe options if the wind should come up and make areas like the upper lake basin difficult to navigate. So where do you start to find a bass on a big piece of water?

 White and his FLW Tour travel/practice partner, Roy Hawk exclusively fish the main lake. “Points, coves and the artificial habitat that was added years ago” says White. That structure, a BLM project started in 1992, is what changed Havasu from a six pound limit lake to the bass factory it is today. White and Hawk feel the best way to find the fish is to keep moving. “Slow fishermen may have a tough time”. Most of the time it is about finding the “wolf packs”. Groups of bass that use numbers to corral bait in coves or ambush bait fish as they travel the river channel.  

 White suggests an angler stick with shad pattern reaction baits or green pumpkin jigs and plastics. “A green pumpkin Pepper Custom Baits Jig is irresistible to a Havasu bass”. Three-eighths or half-ounce will do. Find the pattern and you will find many areas of the lake to duplicate your efforts.

If travel partners include non-fishermen, Havasu offers many other recreational and social activities to participate in. There are multiple golf courses and rarely a weekend will arrive without some community activity. “I just watched the Havasu Festival of lights boat parade”, says White. “It was fantastic”.  Shopping, Restaurants, and Nightclubs envelop the historic London Bridge. If a person is not entertained enough by these offerings there is always Spring Break, but that is a whole other topic.

Lake Havasu is a great place to visit and a better place to fish. Weather is rarely bad, and the locals are professional hosts. Hard to go wrong choosing this lake for a fishing Road Trip. Just ask Mark White. He will tell you there a plenty of fish in the Desert. See you at the weigh-in.