Boxcar Cove

 Welcome to Lake Mead’s Boxcar Cove. I can almost imagine Lake Mead in the 1980’s when this spot in the photo would have been many feet underwater. The small canyon you drive down to get to this spot is probably where the name came from; steep walls on both sides with a downward sloping road. It feels like the type of place where you would have an epic boxcar race. Nowadays, this portion of the road is nowhere near the water and you have to follow the road through the canyon to find this spot.

My first outing to this spot was in the middle of summer and in the shallow waters were signs of the different beds made by fish in spring. During summer this location has lots of aquatic grass growing in the water and creates the illusion that the landscapes behind you extend deep into the water before you. The small valley running down between the hills becomes a channel underwater where the grasses are concentrated, and to the sides of this are cliffs with deep rocky holes. Something about this combo just screams fish me.

On my second visit, I ventured to the sides to try and fish the edges where the grass meets the deeper holes. Something about these big boulders in the water gave this spot a different feel to the rest of Lake Mead. I had some action from fish but was unable to land any. I lost four lures, and even worse, I lost a total of three largemouth bass. This only deepened the desire to catch fish in this location, as I knew they were out there.

My third visit only came months later in early spring. It is hard to explain the change that winter snow in the mountains has on Lake Mead. The spot this picture was taken from was not accessible on this third trip as it was underwater. It is an unreal feeling to stand on a cliff and see the small shrub and rock you fished at months before, now 12 feet underwater. This now meant that I could not even cast out to the point where I previously almost caught those fish.

My fourth trip was again in summer and thus the spot I wanted was again above water. This time around, however, another angler was occupying the spot, and so, I made my way to the next available spot. This was finally the day for catching some fish. Bluegill, smallmouth bass, and green sunfish, none bigger than my hand. But in the clear waters in Lake Mead, I could see some big carp cruising and large bass patrolling the shore, serving as a clear reminder of what fish can be caught from this spot.