Horsepower Cove

 Directly south of the Lake Mead Marina is where we find the topic of today’s post, Horsepower Cove. This area of the lake is only accessible by hiking or from the water itself. Thus, it is a somewhat less frequented fishing destination for bank anglers. Although not a particularly difficult hike from the marina parking lot, people still prefer the northern beaches as you can drive right to the water. And that makes this area so attractive to me.

The waters in the cove can be rather busy at times. Horsepower Cove is often used as a water ski location as the surrounding mountains give some wind protection, paired with its close proximity to the marina itself. There is, however, a no-wake zone around this section of the marina creating some good fishable shoreline. This area is also well-known to kayaker’s that often fish these waters.  

It is the memory of the big school of fish patrolling the marina that pulls me into this area of Lake Mead. It is not permitted to fish inside the marina boundaries, but my reasoning is of course that these fish might be willing to stray outside the boundaries to find some food. Casting near the walls to lure out the fish is ideal, but far enough away to not get snagged or dragged into the walls themselves.

It was mid-summer, a prime time to catch feeding fish, but I was not expecting the number of fish and activity that I got. Casting out to the same area created a feeding zone that cut the waiting time in half. In a span of two hours, I caught eight fish, with two new personal bests and I had lost a further three fish. These are the surprises that await any angler who, from time to time, dare to try something a little different.