Comins Lake was built in 1953 from the realignment of Highway 93, which created the dam for this impoundment. The Department of Wildlife acquired the reservoir as part of the 3-C Ranch purchase in 1999, which is situated on the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area. The reservoir has been chemically treated twice to remove northern pike, first in 1989 and most recently in the summer of 2015. In both instances, northern pike decimated the reservoir’s trout and bass populations through predation. Predictably, once pike exhaust their food supply, they turn cannibalistic. This results in a population crash and development of stunted-sized pike. Since its most recent renovation, Comins Lake has been restocked with trout and largemouth bass. Largemouth bass are self-sustaining and generally need on further stocking, while trout are stocked annually in the spring and fall.
View Map- Click Here
- Region
- Eastern
- County
- White Pine
- Type of water
- Lake or Reservoir
Fishing Report
Comins Lake is ice covered, with ice ranging from 3.5 to 4 inches in areas sampled. Since this is the first fishable ice we have had, anglers are encouraged to have safety equipment while ice fishing. NDOW recommends to stay off ice measuring less than 4 inches. Prior to ice up, surveys showed rainbow trout ranging 16-to-24-inches and upwards of 5 pounds. Anglers should do well fishing for trout using nightcrawlers, spoons, and jigs. Anglers pursuing northern pike will do well on hard and soft plastic baits, as well as flashy spoons and jigs. Fall stocking was completed with 8,246 rainbow trout averaging 8.2 inches.
Anglers are catching northern pike ranging from 18 inches to 30+ inches. Please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several northern pike. These pike will have an orange floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna (~ 7 inches long) coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes.
11-30-2023Stocking Updates
| Stocked | Species | Inches | Date Stocked | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3472 | Rainbow Trout | 8.0 | 10-25-2023 | 16784 |
| 4774 | Rainbow Trout | 8.3 | 10-25-2023 | 13312 |
| 1698 | Bluegill | 6.1 | 06-29-2023 | 8188 |
| 3532 | Rainbow Trout | 8.8 | 05-16-2023 | 8538 |
| 5006 | Rainbow Trout | 9.6 | 05-08-2023 | 5006 |
Pertinent Information
Comins Lake is fed by Steptoe and Cave creeks from the east and occasionally by Willow Creek from the south. At capacity, the lake covers 410 surface acres, has a maximum depth of 14 feet, and an average depth of about 8 feet. Rainbow trout, brown trout, and largemouth bass currently inhabit the reservoir. Due to the tremendous amount of feed, fish grow very rapidly and reach healthy sizes. Fishing for trout is usually best in the spring and fall while bass fishing is most productive during the warmer summer months. Bait anglers find Power Bait, salmon eggs, or night crawlers fished off the bottom with minimal weight is best for trout. Small spinners and spoons are also popular with casters, but a fly behind a bubble can produce excellent results. Fly-fishing is popular for trout and anglers have the best success using wooly buggers and damsels in the spring as well as nymphs and midges under a strike indicator the rest of the year. Remember to use a heavy leader. For those willing to brave the elements, weighted jigs (green or yellow) seem to work best for ice fishing. There is a primitive boat launch along the west side of the reservoir along with restrooms. Overnight camping and fires are not allowed.