Spring / Summer 2004
At the beginning of each season, NDOW fisheries biologists make a fishing forecast, or a general prediction of what is to come. To view more current reports of fishing conditions, please view our fishing report section.
Urban fisheries
With recent rises in gas prices, anglers should be looking for fishing opportunities closer to home. Urban fisheries available to the city bound angler include: Sparks Marina Park Lake, Paradise Pond, Virginia Lake, Davis Creek Park, Wilson Common in Washoe Valley, Mt. View Park in Yerington, Marilyn’s Pond, Liberty Pond in Fallon and the Derby Canal in Fernley. These waters will receive 36,800 catchable trout this spring. In May and June, NDOW will import catchable channel catfish for stocking many of the urban waters in June to provide angling opportunities through the summer.
The Truckee River is Reno's most popular urban fishery.Big Spring Reservoir
is located on the Sheldon National Antelope Range west of Denio off Highway 140. Due to two years of very low water levels, over-winter survival of trout is expected to be very low. Inflow to the reservoir appears to be increasing and hopefully the reservoir will increase in storage this year. With improved water levels, spring stocking will help rebuild this productive fishery. It is advisable to call the Winnemucca Office of the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 623-6519 prior to fishing Big Springs.Dufurrena Ponds
F ishing will be good. This warm water fishery will be a good producer in May and June, with largemouth bass, white crappie, yellow perch and sunfish. Pond number 20 is the most productive pond in the series of three or four ponds. This water is not very large, but produces some respectable yellow perch.The Pine Forest Complex
Waters in the Pine Forest Range includes Onion Valley, Knott Creek Reservoir and Blue Lakes. This year these waters will open on June 12. Carryover of fish in all of these premium fisheries should be excellent.Onion Valley Reservoir - Onion Valley Reservoir levels will begin the season at around 85 % of capacity. Lake levels will be low this summer, but early fishing is expected to be excellent. Most trout will run around 12 to 14 inches, with some fish up to 16 inches. Kamloop strain rainbow trout were introduced into the reservoir in 2003 and should continue to provide exciting fishing again in 2004.
Knott Creek Reservoir - Located south of Onion Reservoir, road access can be very difficult during the spring or following any wet weather. This special regulation fishery is in rebound from a late summer fish kill in 1999. The reservoir will be near its maximum storage of 1300acre-feet this spring. It has been stocked during the last 3 years with Tahoe rainbow, and cutbow trout. Trout over 18 inches should be common in 2004 and fishing is expected to be good. This is an artificial lures only fishery with restricted bag and size limits.
Blue Lakes - Located above Onion Valley Reservoir in a wilderness area. A 20-minute hike from the trailhead will get you to one of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the state. This water receives limited stocking of fingerling rainbow from a helicopter and supports good fishing for brook trout and rainbow. This year for the first time in a decade, waters of the Pine Forest complex will be receiving Tiger trout. These fish won’t show up in the creel for a year, but will be welcome by all anglers who have experienced the ferocity of these fish, which are a cross between brown trout and brook trout.
Rye Patch Reservoir
L ocated 25 miles north of Lovelock off Interstate 80. This reservoir has a capacity of 179,000 acre-feet when full. As of March, the reservoir held only 11,000 acre-feet of water. With low storage, fish will be concentrated and fishing is expected to be good through late spring. Anglers can expect to catch channel catfish, large walleye, wipers up to 10 pounds and some nice crappie. When lake temperatures approach 50ºF, the walleye begin spawning activities and should be easy to locate and catch. Check rocky windblown shorelines for walleye concentrations.This spring, catchable rainbow trout were stocked in the reservoir to supplement angling opportunity. The best fishing should be in the area close to the dam or in the river below the reservoir. To determine current boat launching conditions call Rye Patch State Park at 775) 538-7321.
Lahontan Reservoir
located 20 miles west of Fallon on Highway 50 contains 273,000 acre-feet of water when it is full. As of March, the reservoir contained only 128,000 acre-feet of water. Access for larger boats at the improved boat ramps is available until the reservoir drops below 90,000 acre-feet. Fishing for walleye, white bass and wiper is expected to be fair this season. Fishing will start the end of March. Concentrate fishing activities at the southern end of the reservoir where white bass gather to spawn, in the narrows or at the Truckee Canal entrance near the dam. Warm water action will peak towards Memorial Day when the fry of many different warm water species begin to show up on the miles of sandy beaches. Troll beaches near drop-offs and willow cover to locate fish. The best time to pursue walleye at Lahontan Reservoir is midday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In recent years, many anglers here have capitalized on the large carp, which are plentiful in the reservoir. These fish fight hard and can be easy to catch with flies or corn.The Nevada Division of Health is advising consumers to refrain from eating fish caught from the Carson River in the vicinity of Dayton downstream to, and including the Lahontan Reservoir, and all waters in Lahontan Valley. Studies performed by the State Division of Environmental Protection and Division of Wildlife have shown that a public health problem exists due to elevated levels of mercury in game fish and carp from these waters. Women who are pregnant or are planning on being pregnant should be especially careful in limiting consumption of fish.
Walker Lake
Located north of Hawthorne on Highway 95. Water levels at Walker Lake have continued to decline during the last 5 years. This fishery will be in peril within the next two years unless the lake gets more water. Presently the fishery contains mature cutthroat trout, which are averaging 16 to 20 inches. The lack of 12 to 15 inch fish indicates that stocking during the last 2 years may have had limited success. Despite the decrease in elevation, the Lahontan cutthroat fishery is good. This spring is the time to fish this unique desert lake. Limits of 5 fish per angler have been common this February and March for boat and shore anglers. Spring fishing is expected to be excellent in April and May when mature trout move into shallow water.Topaz Reservoir
Located south of Gardnerville on highway 395 is a gem located on the Nevada California border. This reservoir has been improving every year since the devastating flood of 1997. Although lake levels are low, boating access for larger boats is available at the Douglas County Park near the dam and at the Topaz Marina on the West Side. Boat anglers will do well trolling Rapalas and shore anglers should fish with Powerbait and worms as far out as they can cast for the best success. Most trout are averaging 13 to 15 inches.East and West Walker Rivers
Located south of Yerington. Winter fishing has been fair to good during the low winter flows. Afternoon fishing has been most productive when insect activity is at its peak. On the East Walker, anglers should be aware that the upper 2.5 miles of the river in Nevada has been closed to public fishing. The Rosaschi Ranch below there offers seven miles of catch and release water. Below this, fishing regulations change to general limits and bait fishing is allowed. There are big browns up to 20 inches everywhere on the East Walker River down to Raccoon Beach. As there are some private lands interspersed along the river, anglers are advised to obey the “No Trespassing” signs. Conditions are good, and it is best to fish prior to spring runoff. Anglers who catch Mt. Whitefish should return them to river if they chose not to keep them. These fish have a delicate flesh and are very good eating. The best waters on the West Walker River are located next to the highway in Wilson Canyon and in Hoye Canyon just above Wellington. Both of these areas are regularly stocked by the Mason Valley hatchery.East Carson River
Carson City area. East Carson River below Ruhenstroth Dam is strongly recommended, as the area is holding white fish, rainbow and brown trout in good numbers. Anglers last year reported some good trout fishing in the East Carson River above the confluence of Bryant Creek. Spring runoff will be a big factor in determining when the fishing picks up.Truckee River
Located in the Reno area, the Truckee River is Nevada’s most popular urban fishery. Population surveys last fall indicate that trout over 18 inches are common. With fair carryover of trout from the California State line to Derby Dam, the Truckee River will offer opportunities for trophy rainbow, cutbow and brown trout in 2004. The stocking of catchable trout will begin mid-March from East McCarran Boulevard to Crystal Peak Park in Verdi. This year NDOW will stock 30,000 catchable Lahontan cutthroat and 30,000 triploid rainbow trout in lieu of stocking the traditional rainbow trout. The triploid trout being sterile. This experimental stocking program is designed to reduce the possibility of rainbow trout spawning with the cutthroat trout.
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout released into the Truckee RiverNDOW and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe are cooperating on the release of 2,200 mature Lahontan cutthroat trout beginning in mid-April. The introduction of these fish marks the second year of a 5-year study to determine the feasibility of restoring Lahontan cutthroat trout to the Truckee River. Fish will be collected during the spawning run at Pyramid Lake and will range in size from 18 inches to 24 inches. Cutthroat trout will be released from Fisherman’s Park in Reno up to Crystal Peak Park in Verdi. The fish will be monitored to determine spawning locations and potential for spawning success. Spawning locations, also known as redds, will be visible in riffle sections of the river where the cutthroat trout have cleaned the gravel. Any information on the location of spawning pairs should be reported to the local NDOW office. All of the mature cutthroat trout will have tags, which are numbered. Anglers who catch these fish are encouraged to write down the tag number and report their location, relative health to the NV Division of Wildlife at 775) 688-1500. You are encouraged to release these fish if caught between the period from April through late May.
This year, NDOW and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe are cooperating on the release of 2,200 mature Lahontan cutthroat trout. The introduction of these fish in April marks the beginning of a five-year study to determine the feasibility of restoring Lahontan cutthroat trout to the Truckee River. Fish will be collected during the spawning run at Pyramid Lake and will range in size from 18 inches to 24 inches. Cutthroat trout will be released from Fisherman’s Park in Reno up to Crystal Peak Park in Verdi.
The fish will be monitored to determine spawning locations and potential for spawning success. Spawning locations, also known as redds, will be visible in riffle sections of the river where the cutthroat trout have cleaned the gravel. Any information on the location of spawning pairs should be reported to the local NDOW office.
Anglers are encouraged to release these fish if caught between the period from April through late May.
Lake Tahoe
At a depth of over 1,600 feet, Lake Tahoe is more resistant to a drought than some of the shallower Nevada Reservoirs. Anglers can catch rainbow, brown and lake trout as well as kokanee salmon from shore, toplining, and deeplining. July and August are the most productive months, in fish per hour, although deepliners catch lake trout all year. NDOW stocks approximately 40,000 catchable sized rainbow trout annually, split between Cave Rock and Sand Harbor in the spring and summer. Fishing is usually good at these two locations following the stocking.
Lake Tahoe produced Nevada's record mackinaw.
