How to Troll for Stripers on Lake Havasu

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If you’ve spent any time fishing with me, you know I love trolling for stripers. It’s one of my favorite ways to cover water, locate active fish, and help clients hook into some of the biggest stripers Lake Havasu has to offer. It’s not always the fastest way to catch numbers, but when that rod doubles over and the drag starts screaming, you remember exactly why you’re doing it.

Trolling success on Havasu changes with the seasons. During the fall transition, water temps drop from the 80s into the 70s & 60s, and the lake starts to turn over. That’s when you’ll notice the water getting green and murky — especially up north near Mesquite Bay and the island. When this happens, fish scatter and the bite can feel inconsistent. But once the water stabilizes, the bite gets better by the day.

When the lake’s in this condition, I tell people not to overthink it — stripers are still eating, you just have to put your baits where they are. They’re usually hanging in 25–50 feet of water, following bait schools.

I keep things simple. My go-to setup for trolling is a 4- or 6-inch paddle tail swimbait (pearl or white) on a ½- to 1-ounce jig head. I’ll also mix in lipless crankbaits like rattle traps — darker colors early in the morning, then switching to white or chrome once the sun’s up.

If the water’s off-colored or I’m getting short strikes, I’ll add a touch of Pro-Cure gel scent to the baits. It’s a small trick, but it really helps fish commit when visibility is low.

I troll between 2.0 and 2.8 mph, adjusting speed until I find what the fish want. The key is keeping your lure down in the zone — not dragging bottom, but close enough to get noticed.

Some of the best trolling runs on Havasu are between Pilot Rock and Standard Wash, The Sod Farm, and from Copper Canyon to Grass Island. These stretches hold consistent bait schools, and where there’s bait, there’s striper.

The south end of the lake — especially around Three Dunes and Cattail Cove — has been great in the mornings, with some bonus topwater boils if you’re lucky. When those boils die down, you can switch right back to trolling and keep picking away at quality fish.

The biggest mistake I see anglers make is staying in one area too long. Trolling is about covering water. If you don’t get bit in 30 minutes, change depth, speed, or direction. Watch your graph — if you’re seeing bait and arcs (stripers) mid-column, you’re in the right place.

Pay attention to the wind too. A little breeze can push bait into coves and points, and that’s often where you’ll find active stripers stacking up. The lake has been calmer in the mornings and breezier in the afternoons, so plan your trolling runs accordingly.

Trolling for stripers on Lake Havasu is about patience and patterning. Some days it’s steady action; other days you earn every bite. But when that big striper slams a swimbait on the troll, it makes all the slow mornings worth it.

So, next time you’re out there, keep your eyes peeled for birds working bait, watch your graph, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Fall fishing is heating up, and the big ones are feeding.

If you want to learn trolling techniques firsthand or just spend a morning chasing stripers, I’d love to have you aboard.

Call or text me at (928) 444-5073

Tight lines,

– Capt. Kenne