The water level is up, making shore access difficult in many areas due to brush.  If you have a float tube, kayak or canoe it will definitely help out.   Bait anglers have seen fishing slow as aquatic insects are coming out, though fly fishermen are finding fishing very good.   Fly rodders have had success using small elk hair caddis, hopper or stimulator with an olive or peacock soft hackle dropper below though any dropper fly with green or peacock herl will work.  Small spinners and rooster tails should also be effective, just give them enough time to sink to the level the fish are at. Spin anglers can put a fly behind a bobber for casting and have better luck that way.

Same bat channel, same bat station.  Fishing has been good for 10 to 12 inch fish using worms or cheese baits under a bobber.  Small spinners in black and gold or green and gold have been effective.  For fly rodders: hare’s ears, pheasant tail nymphs, prince nymphs, small crystal buggers and Cave Lake specials are all good flies. Mayflies and damselflies are also hatching, so fish these imitations.     This lake was stocked with approximately 16,000 trout this spring.  

Fishing is fair for trout and  fair to good for bass.  There continues to be a morning mayfly hatch so  BWO’s, PMD’s, hares ears, Adams and Griffiths gnats are all worth a try for fly fishermen.  

Surface water temperatures are in the 70’s and trout fishing is slowing down.  Fish the deeper water. Shore anglers aren’t doing as well as boaters. The usual PowerBait and worms should work, while small spinners and minnow imitations can be productive. Fly fishermen should be switching to damselfly and mayfly patterns in addition to the usual assortment of chironomid patterns and buggers.  The lake was stocked with approximately 13,000 fish this spring. Please return any black bass back to the lake while the bass fishery rebuilds.

The water level has dropped considerably and the old dam is above the water.  Just like the rest of the eastern Nevada reservoirs, the trout fishing has slowed as they move into the deeper cooler water.  The usual worms, PowerBait or mealworms should all work.  Small spinners and spoons should be good for spin fishermen.  The usual black and olive wooly buggers, small chironomids, hares ears and pheasant tail nymphs are good starting points for fly rodders. The trick is to get any of the presentations deep into the water column.   Illipah was stocked with approximately 18,000 fish this spring.

The weeds have come on and shore anglers are finding it difficult to fish from shore, so if you have a float tube, canoe or other small vessel, it will definitely help.  Trout fishing has been fair, while bass fishing has been good.  Worms and PowerBait are popular here as are black or olive woolly buggers, prince nymphs, PT’s and hares ears.

The water is turbid with algae and shore fishermen don’t appear to be faring as well as boaters or float tube anglers as the edges are getting weedy and the fish are hanging in the deeper cooler water.  Remember this is a wakeless water so go slow.  It is difficult to launch much more than a small rowboat or car topper due to water and shore conditions.  Small spinners, PowerBait or worms should all work.  While fly rodders should be using chironomids, hares ears, small nymphs and wooly buggers.  Jiggs was stocked with approximately 2000 catchable trout this spring.  Please return any black bass back to the lake to help with rebuilding the bass fishery here.

Area streams are at or near normal flows making for good fishing. Not only that, but hoppers are out and this is the time of year to hit our creeks for some great dry fly action.  Just be on the lookout for snakes. Lamoille Creek is finally flowing at a normal 45 cfs as of this past Thursday. Streams in northern Elko County are flowing close to normal with the Bruneau at 28 cfs and the West Fork of the Jarbidge at 17 cfs and they are fishing well. The East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 77 cfs near Mountain City.  Creeks in central Nevada are flowing at normal flows for this time of year and many such as Steptoe, Cleve and Ward Creeks are fishable. 

Most of the trails can be hiked though anglers may still have to cross a snow bank or two.  The lakes are ice free and fishing is good at most of them.    The same presentations and techniques that work at Angel all work well up here.  Remember the further you get from the trailhead, there is less fishing pressure therefore the better the fishing is.  

Bass fishing is improving with the hot weather and anglers report good fishing for keeper bass.  With water levels up the bass are spread out more so anglers need to move until they find them.  Dark plastic four to six inch grubs with sparkles in them seem to be the presentation of choice. Colors include blue, dark red, dark green, purple and motor oil.  Fishing in the ditch for trout is fair.   Fly rodders should try the usual assortment of nymphs under an indicator as well as wooly, seal and crystal buggers. Scuds, midges, and small Blue Winged Olives are all worth a try.  Of course the usual small hares ears, PT’s, copper Johns and buggers are all staples in the ditch. Spin fishermen should try small minnow imitators and gold spinners.  The collection ditch is artificial lures and flies only and no wading is allowed. Boaters need to be aware of the afternoon winds which may make getting back to the boat ramps difficult.

There is road construction south of the state park headquarters so those wanting to access the west side of the lake will need to go in through Twin Bridges.  Expect this to continue throughout the summer.  Very little change in fishing conditions here. The surface water temperatures have climbed into the 70’s, there is lots of algae and trout fishing has slowed considerably due to this.  Even boaters don’t seem to be having a lot of luck for trout. The trout being caught are averaging between 13 and 17 inches with an occasional 20 inch fish being caught.  If fishing from a boat, use a deep diving presentation to get your terminal tackle to between 15 and 20 feet deep for trout.  Black bass are moving into vegetation at the south end of the lake and onto structure along shorelines.  Wiper fishing continues to be fair to good and many of the wipers appear to being caught at the south end of the lake near the buoy line along the old river bed.  Mayflies and damselflies are hatching, so flies such as pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hares ears, pale morning duns, blue winged olives (BWO’s) and other mayfly as well as damselfly imitations should be used. Damselflies should be fished near vegetation and mayflies may be fished on more open water.  South Fork has been stocked with a total of approximately 45,000 trout this year.  

There is road construction on SR-225 between milepost 37 and Lone Mountain Station.  During the week drivers can expect up to a 30 minute delays, though on the weekends this shouldn’t be a problem.  With surface water temperatures well above 70 degrees, trout fishing is slowing down and anglers are having their best luck early in the morning before it gets too hot or by fishin gin deeper water. Fishing has been productive for boaters who are fishing between 16 and 18 feet deep.  Fishing from shore in the canyon that leads to the dam where the water gets deep quickly has been productive.   Bait fishermen should use the usual worms or PowerBait for trout.  Sherbet PowerBait seems to be the ticket, though other colors will still work.  Fly rodders should be trying chironomids, hares ears, PT’s, damselfly nymphs, damsel adults, mayflies and wooly buggers. The campground and fish cleaning station are open and on a first come first served basis.  Wildhorse has been stocked with approximately 80,000 trout this year!

Fishing for keeper crappie has been fair to good with the fish starting to move a bit deeper onto structure, though it is closer to fair than good.  The road is rough so care should be taken driving here.  Anglers report catching crappie in the rocks, fishing a small white plastic grub underneath a bobber.  Crappie like structure, so look for submerged brush, willows and rocks.

The road to Wilson has been graded and tout fishing here has been good and bass fishing is picking up. The lake is no longer spilling over the spillway but Wilson has the best water quality of the larger reservoirs in eastern Nevada with little algae growth.  Trout were averaging 13 to 16 inches in the lake.  Expect similar conditions to South Fork and anglers should use the same presentations. The usual PowerBait or worms work well.  Gold, green and yellow, or black and yellow spinners are working.  Fly fishermen should be using chironomids, mayfly nymphs and emergers, damselfly nymphs/dries or black crystal buggers for best results. Wilson has been stocked with almost 29,000 fish this spring.