NEVADA DIVISION OF WILDLIFE
Eastern Region

FISHING REPORT

updated 8/06

 

When it is hot like this, think deep. Fishing is good in many areas, but once the surface temps warm up, then the trout head into cooler water at deeper depths. This means that shore anglers are often at a disadvantage unless they are familiar with the water and find areas where they can get their bait or lures to deeper water close to shore. Boaters on the other hand have the advantage of fast easy mobility and can cover a lot of area until they find fish. Streams are starting to subside, though flows are still a little high.

ANGEL LAKE - Fishing is still pretty good here with worms and PowerBait working. This is one of my favorite lakes to float tube, though the water is still in the 30’s. Try spinners, worms and woolybuggers with flash. In fact, this time of year, they appear to hit just about everything you throw at them, though the fish are a little thin due to the long hard winter. The Angel Lake Kids Fishing Derby takes place on July 15. There is no entry fee, but parents must attend with their children. Lots of prizes and a free hotdog lunch will be provided after the event. Registration will start at 7:30, orientation at 8:15 and the derby starts at 8:30.

CAVE LAKE - As usual this reservoir is providing some of the most consistent fishing of the region with most fish being caught using worms or spinners from shore. Most of the fish are 10 to 12 inches. Fly rodders should use PT nymphs, Adams, Cave Lake specials or small sparkle buggers.

COMINS LAKE - Fishing is good here as the fish are hitting damsel flies, midges and dragon flies. Caddis emergers are working late in the afternoon and early evening. Of course the standard wooly bugger or leach pattern in black, blood or olive are all working. Fly fisherman are having the best luck, though bait anglers are catching some fish in the 3 to 4 lb. range with worms being the top choice.

CRITTENDEN - This reservoir is no longer open to the public for fishing.

DORSEY RESERVOIR - Fishing is slowing down a bit with the warm weather. Most fish are being caught with PowerBait and worms, though small orange and black spinners are working. The water will get low and warm as the irrigation season starts and most of the fish will not survive the summer so keep the fish you catch up to the legal limit. Small spinners, woolybuggers, mosquito and damsel fly patterns should all be effective.

ILLIPAH - The water clear and fishing is fair to good. Fish this like you would Comins Lake. According to the biologist for this water, there are good carryover fish that should be pushing 14 to 17 inches, with an occasional fish getting to 19 or 20 inches.

JAKE'S / BOISE RESERVOIR - This reservoir has safe ice and fishing is fair for trout using PowerBait or worms.

JIGGS / ZUNINO RESERVOIR - Another 2800 fish were stocked here on June 6 and fishing is fair to good. Best time is early morning and worms and powerbait are working. This is a great float tube lake as long as the wind doesn’t come up. Shore anglers are not catching many fish but float tubers and boaters are catching fish in the deeper water. Mayfly, damsel fly, midge and dragon fly nymphs and emerger patterns should work as well as the always popular wooly buggers in blood, olive and black. PowerBait and worms are also working as long as you can get them deep.

MOUNTAIN STREAMS & LAKES - Stream flows are starting to drop, though fishing is still tough. Fly rodders should be using nymphs unless they are in pools where a hatch is going on. Terrestrials are starting to appear and ant or hopper patterns are also working. Bait anglers should use worms dead drifted through riffles and into small pools. Small spinners should also work.

RUBY LAKE NWR - Bass fishing is slow while trout fishing is slow to fair. for the boat opener last It is electric motors only until August 1. Most of the trout came from the larger pools such as the water ski pond. Best time to fish for bass is late evening as the shadows start hitting the water. Toss your lure into the weeds and reel. Plan on losing a lot of gear. Rubber grubs, worms, small rapalas, streamers and poppers work well for the bass. Use darker colors such as black, brown, olive, purple or rootbeer. Obviously, weedless hooks are a necessity. The hatchery is empty of stockable sized fish due to refurbishment and is closed to the public for visitation. Also, due to the refurbishment, the hatchery will not have any brood stock available for planting for two to three years.

SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR - Little or no change here. Trout fishing continues to be slow with most fish being caught in the early morning. Active presentations are the most successful with the most fish being caught by trollers or float tubers. You need to fish fairly deep and most of the fish caught from shore are being caught along jet-ski beach, the bluffs on the west side and along the dam. Remember, this water holds lots of natural food so the fish aren’t as likely to take a bait that they don’t naturally find in the water. As the flow below the dam subsides, fishing should pick up in the stream. Bass fishing is pretty good right now. Plastic or rubber grubs and tubes in blacks and grays with some sparkle appear to be the ticket. Flies for trout include blood, olive and black wooly buggers, leach and zebra midge patterns. All black bass must be released immediately at the location they were caught until July 1st, though one wiper 15 inches or longer may be kept.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR - The perch are starting to show up in creels, but they are small. They are averaging between 7 and 8 inches, though based on last year’s creel, there should be some larger perch in the lake, you just have to find them and chances are they are in the deeper water where shore fisherman can’t reach. Trout fishing is good with limits being taken, though most fish are being caught early in the morning or late in the evening. Some fish in the three to four pound range are being reported. The key here is the Mormon crickets that are appearing and concentrating the trout in the areas that the crickets are entering the water. Put a cricket on the hook and hang on. If you are a flyrodder, try using a large brown Chernobyl ant which sort of resembles the crickets. Bass fishing is fair to good with many of the same presentations that you use at South Fork working. All black bass must be released immediately at the location that they were caught until July 1 st, though one wiper 15 inches or longer may be kept.

WILSON RESERVOIR - The lake is still spilling lightly and fishing below the spillway is still the best, with limits of fish in the 12 to 16 inch size being taken. The water in the creek is clearing up making it a little easier to fish. There is a Mormon cricket hatch going on and those fishing with the crickets are catching fish. Shore anglers in the reservoir itself are doing okay, but boaters are having better luck for trout as the fish head to the deep open water in mid morning.

 

Rivers and Streams-Virtually hundreds of small perennial streams can be found in the Independence, Tuscarora, Jarbidge, Ruby, and East Humboldt mountain ranges in Elko County. These streams, plus the North and South Forks of the Humboldt River, East and West Forks of the Jarbidge River, Bruneau River, Salmon Falls River, and Marys River, all contain one or more species of trout. Many of these waters may be reached only by backpacking, but most have good fish populations and the scenery is well worth the effort. Over the last two years, precipitation has been below normal, and most fish populations have probably declined from the highs seen during the late 1990s. Spring runoff was relatively low this year throughout Elko County, and flows during mid-summer will be very low. With this in mind, fishing should be best between May and late July, and when flows pick up again in September and October.

 

Western Region Fishing Report: Northern Nevada Waters click here

Southern Region Fishing Report: Southern Nevada Waters click here

Good luck fishing!!!

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