Although Nevada is widely known as a dry state, it has over 200 ponds, lakes and reservoirs which provide nearly 400,000 surface acres of sport-fishing opportunity. Additionally, both Nevada and Arizona share Lake Mead, North America’s largest reservoir which lies along the Colorado River. Add to this total, more than 500 streams and rivers that span nearly 3,000 fishable miles, and the state offers a wide variety of angling possibilities.
Places to Fish
Below is a collection of some of the best waters Nevada and the Eastern Sierra have to offer. This is by no means a complete list, but the waters listed here will give you a flavor of what its like to fly fish in Nevada. Besides, finding your own spots is half the fun. Remember, always consult your regulations before fishing any water.
Truckee River
A fine trout stream in some beautiful settings. You’ll find browns, rainbows and cutts along with some mountain whitefish (and smallmouth?). A killer Little Yellow Stone hatch in August is my favorite. Fish the trophy section in Verdi, Nevada all year long, and just about anywhere from Lake Tahoe to the state line when the river is open in California.
Hinkson Slough
In the Mason Valley WMA about 10 minutes north of Yerington, this small series of ponds and channels was one of the premier trout fisheries in the area. This is highly productive water and requires skilled presentation to entice strikes. I compare this water to some of the great spring creeks in the west. I have caught more 20-26 inch rainbows here than anywhere else I have fished. And when the trout aren’t in the mood to strike the bass fishing is fun with 20-30 fish days not uncommon.
East Carson River
carson riverAnother fine east slope trout stream. Good fishing can be found from the headwaters, through Markleeville and the wild trout section, down to Minden. Much of the river below Markleeville is accessible only on foot or in a raft. No trout are planted here due the wild & scenic designation but the resident trout do quite nicely all alone like that.
Related Books
Helpful resources from local experts on Amazon:
- Guide to Fly Fishing in Nevada
By Dave Stanley who operates the Reno Fly shop and Truckee River Outfitters in Truckee, California. - Flyfisher’s Guide to Nevada
By by Jan Nemec
Covers all of the fisheries in the state.
East Walker River
One of the region’s, if not the country’s, best trout streams. Rainbows up to 5 lbs, browns even bigger. Lots of good dry-fly water along with tons of nymphing opportunities. Try the Miracle Mile just below the dam for classic tail-water fishing or the Nevada sections for relatively uncrowded opportunities. For a side trip, Twin Lakes has great camping and good fishing, too.
Hot Creek
Technical dry fly fishing at its best/worst. These fish are picky but hardly spooky. Stories are told that another fish will sometimes rise between you and the fish you’re trying to catch, they are that brave. Of course, neither will take your fly without a perfect drift. Big fish live in this little creek; I have personally seen (notice I didn’t say caught) a 24 incher! There is some private land so beware.
Desert Creek
A small creek south of Wellington that runs through a deep canyon for most of its length. A dirt road runs along the creek for about a third of it’s length with seven crossing of the creek. Find the open water and you will find fish including rainbows, browns and brook Trout. The fish are both wild and planters and very aggressive. Lots of camping along the creek too.
Lakes & Reservoirs
Big Springs Reservoir
Nevada’s common border with Oregon delineates one of the West’s most remote desert regions, home to lots of jackrabbits, pronghorns and reptiles but very few trees, people nor sources of water. Best known of a few widely scattered reservoirs in this region is Big Springs, whose 120 acres averages only about nine feet deep. High winds and shallow water combine to create turbid conditions whenever the reservoir is drawn down, but this super-fertile fishery grows 16- to 20-inch rainbows shaped like footballs.
Big Springs RainbowGiven several consecutive years of good water supply, Big Springs Reservoir can produce rainbows like this one, taken on a damsel nymph during May.
The entire reservoir supports extensive weedbeds and thus dense populations of scuds, Chironomids, water beetles, damsels, Callibaetis mayflies, dragonflies, snails and leeches. (See the specialty flies.) The reservoir opens mid-May, when heavy Chironomid hatches occur daily. Amongst them are the big “bloodworm” midges whose reddish-colored larvae and pupae require imitations tied on No. 12 hooks. Soon thereafter, the damsel emergence begins and the reservoir’s fat trout gorge on the bright green nymphs. Leech and scud patterns prove equally effective during the late spring.
Eventually the heat of summer sends Big Springs into a quiet period. During years of good water supply, the reservoir reaches its zenith during the fall, from mid- or late September into November. During autumn, the rainbows are at their best-fat, bright, aggressive and full of fight.
To reach Big Springs Reservoir, follow State Route 140 east and south from Lakeview, Oregon or west from Denio, Nevada. The reservoir sits a half mile north of the highway via a signed gravel/dirt road located about 24 miles west of Denio Junction or 10 miles east of the Oregon border if you’re arriving from Lakeview.
Pyramid Lake
THE place for trophy Lahontan cutthroat trout. 10-14 pound cutts are taken weekly and larger fish are taken every year. Fishing is often done from a ladder so you can reach the drop-off or you can use a float tube in calm conditions. Try the Nets for consistently bigger fish (and bigger crowds), but monsters can be found anywhere. I have even sight fished over 20-inch cutts on the north side of the lake.
Related Book
The only book out there about catching the massive Lahontan cutthroat trout that reside in the Gem of the Desert.
[amazon box=”0963725637″]
Crowley Lake
The quintessential high desert reservoir. When this place in on, it can kick out some monster rainbow and brown trout and has a sleeper fishery for yellow perch. Most of the action can be had from boats or float tubes using deep water midging techniques or streamers, especially those that resemble juvenile perch. Beware the winds here, though. This place gets blown out regularly. It along way from everywhere, but the quality of the fishery is worth the drive and Bishop and Mammoth are nearby.
Sheep Creek Reservoir
Located on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, which straddles the Nevada / Idaho border almost due south of Mountain Home, this rainbow trout reservoir offers excellent prospects for large fish, some exceeding 10 pounds. Managed by the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes, Sheep Creek is open to all methods of angling but has long been a popular destination for southern-Idaho fly anglers. Sheep Creek abounds in aquatic trout foods with scuds providing the impetus for explosive growth for fat, healthy rainbows. All the other usual suspects complete the menu, including damsels, midges, Callibaetis mayflies, dragonflies, water beetles, snails and leeches.See the specialty flies.
Covering about 1,000 acres, Sheep Creek is nonetheless shallow throughout, it’s deepest recesses covered by only about 20 feet of water. Extensive shallows provide ample habitat for dense weed growth and abundant trout food. During the early morning hours, try scud patterns on a slow-sinking or intermediate line. Later, switch to leech patterns, damsel nymphs or large attractor patterns. One of my favorite tactics, here and on other desert reservoirs, is to fish a two-fly rig using a leech pattern or Woolly Bugger in the lead and a scud pattern or Zugbug as the trailer.
To reach the reservation, follow State Route 51 south out of Mountain Home and keep going until you reach the reservation boundary just south of Riddle. Mountain View Reservoir sits on your right before you cross
Frenchman’s and Davis Reservoirs
About 45 minutes and one hour north of Reno, respectively, these large impoundments have some voracious rainbows. A major Damselfly Nymph migration in June is a highlight, though fish can be caught anytime the water is ice-free on dries, nymphs and streamers. Wading the shallow bays can be productive, as can float tubing. Davis gets poisoned every few years to eradicate pike, but always bounces back quickly. One hint: Hold onto your rod tight!
Knott Creek Reservoir
Knott is in the middle of nowhere north of Winnemucca but well worth the trip. Rainbows in the double digits have been caught and the tiger trout and brook trout aren’t slouches either. The road may be impassable during wet weather and 4WD is recommended. The area also offer great deer, chukar and quail hunting, in season.
Wildhorse Reservoir
About 2-hours north of Elko, Wildhorse is a top-notch high desert reservoir. Trout, bass and panfish can be had at this impoundment, though the trout fishing is the highlight.
Only within the past decade have fly anglers become a common sight on this huge reservoir in northern Nevada’s Elko County. Long popular with the gear-fishing community, Wildhorse is a mixed-bag affair, offering largemouth and smallmouth bass and white crappie alongside some huge rainbow, brown and rainbow-cutthroat hybrid trout (“cut-bows”). Stack together several good water years and Wildhorse produces lots of 14- to 20-inch trout. They grow fast and fat on a diet rich in all the typical reservoir trout foods.
Covering more than 2,000 acres, Wildhorse often proves an intimidating sight to the newcomer. However, most fly anglers float-tube or boat the shallows along the reservoir’s west and north shorelines. At full pool, two arms reach east up Penrod Creek and Hendrick’s Creek, respectively, offering productive shoal areas. Most anglers fish leech, scud or damsel patterns on intermediate lines. Heavy weed growth assures dense populations of trout foods.
To find Wildhorse Reservoir from the north (Mountain Home, Idaho), continue south through the Duck Valley Indian Reservation on Highway 225 . From the south, follow Hwy. 225 north from Elko about 65 miles to the reservoir. Wildhorse State Park offers a decent campground and additional camping is available near the dam at the BLM campground (on the north end of the reservoir). The highway wraps around the east and north shoreline, providing several access points, some of which take you through tribal lands where a daily fee is required. Across the highway from Archie’s Resort, a gravel road leads to the west shoreline and some excellent shallow shoal areas perfect for float tubers.
Some excellent fishing can also be had in the Owyhee River below the dam. Try poppers for the bass at dusk in the warm summer months.
Reese River
The Reese River is a small stream that originates in the Arc Dome Wilderness at the southern end of the Toiyabe Range in central Nevada. Most of the better water requires a hike but eager, wild trout make it worth the extra trouble. Most of the trail heads leading into the wilderness will get you there but Cow Camp is probably the easiest.
Hobart Reservoir
Hobart is a small impoundment in the Carson Range west of Carson City. NDOW plants rainbows and cutthroat spawners up to 5 pounds. Brook trout also inhabit the little lake and are easily taken on dries. Hobart can be fished from shore but a float tube makes it a lot easier. Access Hobart from Ash Canyon Road and the hike about a mile from the parking area, which is 4 miles from Carson City.
Lahontan Reservoir
Lahontan is located about 40 minutes east of Carson City and is primarily a warm-water fishery. Lahontan holds white bass, wipers, walleye, black bass, crappie and NDOW stocks rainbow trout. The wipers can grow in excess of 5 pounds and I have had 50 fish days on white bass. You don’t need a boat or float tube as fish cruise the beaches looking for meals, and it feels so good to wet wade when it’s 100 degrees.
Related Resources
Fly Fishing the Desolation Wilderness Area
The Desolation Wilderness is a 100 square mile federal “wilderness area” directly to the west of Lake Tahoe.
www.tahoecountry.com/jerry/jerry1.html
Pyramid Lake
Pyramid Lake is the ancestral home of the Lahontan Cutthroat that used to range up the entire range of the Truckee into LakeTahoe and its tributaries.
www.tahoecountry.com/jerry/jerrypyramid.html
Tahoe Fly Fishing
Nice section for Nevada fly fishing reports from a local shop.
www.tahoeflyfishing.com
The Winter Cutthroat Of Pyramid Lake
from www.flyanglersonline.com
www.flyanglersonline.com/features/lakes/part38.php
Nevada Fly Fishing Shops
Reno Fly Shop
294 East Moana Lane, #14, Reno, Nevada 89502; (775) 825-FISH
www.renoflyshop.com