Places to go fishing in Nevada
When it comes to fishing in the driest state in the US, you may be surprised by the huge number of quality places to go fishing. The state of Nevada is home to over 200 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs as well as about 600 streams that account for just about 400,000 acres of prime fishing water.
Nevada is best know for it’s quality bass and trout fishing. However, there are still ample opportunities to go fishing for (and catch with ease) bluegill, extra-large catfish, green sunfish, crappie, kokanee salmon, redear, perch, and the occasional walleye in places like Lake Tahoe and Cave Creek Reservoir (cooler bodies of water). But, there are superb warm-water locations like Lake Mead and Lake Mohave that have spectacular striped bass and black bass fishing. Other warm-water location have great catfish and panfish catching opportunities.
So, no matter where in the state of Nevada you want to fish, you are nearly guaranteed to have a great experience and most likely catch some great fish. by the way, the sunrises and sunsets in Nevada are almost as breathtaking as the fishing, if not more. Good luck and have fun!
For a list of licenses, fees and where to buy, see our Nevada Fishing License page.
The locations below are listed alphabetically in the region of the state and just a sampling of the many places to go fishing and some of the species you can catch in Nevada.
Places To Go Fishing In Nevada
Northeast Nevada
Wilson (Sink) Reservoir: This body of water is roughly 800 acres in size and has a maximum depth of about 30 feet. It is located about 6 miles east of state route 226 and a little over 60 miles from Elko. The reservoir does see a fair share of fishing pressure, but, that has not hindered the growth of the trout and largemouth bass population too much. It is quite normal to catch trout in the 13 to 18 inch range and the bass average about 12 inches in length. For the trout, the bite is best from May through September. Wilson Sink reservoir has become a very popular fly-fishing destination, from either a kayak, canoe, or boat. However, throwing out a nightcrawler, piece of corn, PowerBait®, a small spinner bait, or spoons on light-line spinning rods or baitcasters are still the choice of most anglers. The bass bite is best from around late May/early June through the summer and boat fishing is definitely the best fishing option here, though some success can be found along the shore. The best bet for catching bass here is using spinner baits, crankbaits, or any type of worms.
Popular Species To Catch: Rainbow Trout, German Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass
East Nevada
Cave Creek Reservoir: Better known as Cave Lake State Park, this reservoir is very small at only 32 acres with an access fee of $5. However, as small as it may be, it has exceptional trout fishing year-round. Cave Creek Reservoir is regularly stocked with rainbow trout and is home to native-born German brown trout. In fact, Cave Creek Reservoir holds the state record for brown trout caught at 27 pounds 5oz. Anglers can also enjoy catching these trout from the streams that feed into the main reservoir. Anglers are able to fish from both boat and shore here. Ice-fishing is also quite popular here from December through March.
Popular Species To Catch: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
Comins Lake: This lake is 410 acres and has a max depth of 14 feet and an average depth of only 8 feet. It is located just south of Ely by about 5 miles. The lake has has past issues with the existence of northern pike and their effect on the trout and bass population. The lake has been chemically treated twice now, most recently in 2015, to stunt the physical growth and prevent further population of the northern pike species. The results have been great. Both the largemouth bass and trout populations are showing drastic improvements. There is an incredible amount of food for the fish at Comins Lake and is helping to produce trophy-sized bass and trout. As per expected, trout catching is best in the spring and fall while bass catching is best in summer months when the water and air have warmed up. Lastly, as preferred by most trout, the best baits are PowerBait®, salmon eggs, or nightcrawlers by fly-fishing with nymphs and wooly buggers are successful as well. Spinner baits and spoons are best for the bass of course.
Popular Species To Catch: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass
Illipah Creek Reservoir: This is quite a small body of water in eastern Nevada, coming in at only 70 surface acres with a max depth of about 50 feet. It is located about 40 miles west of Ely. Even though the entire body of water is on privately-owned land, the land adjacent to the reservoir is BLM and that is where visitors and anglers are able to access. Rainbow trout and brown trout are the resident fish species here and can be fished year-round, though anglers have best success catching these trout during the spring and fall when the temperature isn’t as hot. There can also be a bit of success with ice-fishing – if you’re into that. The baits of choice at Illipah Creek Reservoir are going to be PowerBait®, nightcrawlers, and salmon eggs. But, many anglers pride themselves on having just as much success using spinner baits and other artificial lures. Lastly, similar to other bodies of water throughout the state, fly-fishing with nymphs, wooly buggers, and other flies is getting very popular as well.
Popular Species To Catch: Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
West Nevada
Lake Tahoe: Straddling the borders of Nevada and California, Lake Tahoe is a total of 122,000 acres with a max depth of over 1,600 feet. That depth makes is the second deepest lake in the United States. Saying you fished in Lake Tahoe is like saying you fished in the ocean – because it’s so big. Due to there being so many “best” places to go fishing in Lake Tahoe, it really should have it’s own page. But, we can use some generalities here for best practices. The main area of the lake is best fished from a boat in the summer. Fall, winter, and spring bring the best opportunities to catch fish from the shore as the water cools and fish move to the shallows. The best way to fish the shallows of Lake Tahoe is most likely with 6-8lb test with a Carolina rig. best baits have proven to be nighcrawlers or a small live minnow.
Popular Species To Catch: Lake Trout (Mackinaw), Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Bass, Crappie, Carp
To see the full list of Nevada fishing licenses and prices, please visit our Nevada Fishing License page.
Many more locations to come. If you have any favorite spots or bodies of water that you think should definitely be on this page, please send us a note.
Also, if you are a private club or guide service that would like to be featured on any “Places To Fish” page, or other page within the StartFishingToday™ website, let us know.
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