The reservoir is fishing great for bass now that the summer heat is finally setting in. Bait fishing remains good early and late in the day with powerbait in deeper water for trout. Trout fishing will pick up again as night time temperatures drop.

 

Good reports back from Blue. Sporadic midge, damsels, and mayfly hatches have fish on the surface early and late in the day. Snail and damsel patterns have been an excellent retrieved or trolled slowly behind a sinking line.

 

The Carson is fishing well but has been pretty crowded in the usual haunts. Flows are still coming down making some access points challenging. Spin fisherman using larger spinner and spoons have caught some good fish recently. Fly fisherman moving larger streamers through deeper water have caught some really healthy fish recently. Larger stonefly nymphs paired with small pheasant tails under the indicator have also been productive. Hopper fishing will continue to get better as flows come down through summer.

 

Fishing is fair to slow for walleye, crappie, wiper and catfish. A few walleye are being caught slowly trolling minnow imitations or worm harnesses. Trolling faster with rapala minnow imitations is a good method for walleye as well. For crappie use bright colored jigs in the flooded vegetation. The few that fly fish Chimney Reservoir tend to stick with the chartreuse and yellow Clouser minnows. Note that all tiger muskie must be released and report the tag # to NDOW. Additional Tiger Muskie fingerlings will be introduced during the 2019 season and some larger fish are showing up during surveys.

 

The East Walker River flows are currently high with higher water demands downstream. Flows will start to come when night time lows start to fall. Fishing will be great when the river comes into shape. Fly fisherman have reported a few fish on larger streamers but high flows make wading a challenge. Spin fisherman using larger plugs or rapalas may entice the occasional larger fish in deeper pools or runs.

 

Terrestrial fishing is excellent. Parachute ants, beetles, and damsel adults are all taken off the surface throughout the day. Fish have also been aggressive enough to hunt down slowly retrieved nymphs all day long. Midge and dragons are the most prolific insects at the moment. Fish have also been on the surface feeding pretty actively when the wind is down.

 

There is currently an algae bloom at Knott Creek Reservoir. NDOW will be monitoring the bloom over the coming weeks. Cooler temperatures in the short term will help but expect this to extend through August. Check back for updates.

 

Good to fair reports of smaller macs trolling fairly deep. Cooler temperatures will help bring fish up over the next six weeks. Shore anglers are using smaller spinners for planted trout and larger spoons for larger rainbows and browns have been doing well.

 

Fishing has been fair at Hinkson for bass. Bass can be found early and late in the day right next to the tulles and around other structure. In addition to the bass, a few trout are still being caught early and late. Poppers and mice patterns on the surface can be good near the shore and along the tulles. Spin fisherman bouncing small jigs along the bottom have been picking up both bass and trout.

 

Fishing has been excellent with very little fishing traffic. The best mid-summer tactic seems to be big flies for big fish. Retrieving larger streamers near deep water from shore, or trolling them behind a float tube with a sinking line. A few fish have been seen on the surface late in the day. Damsels and midge will continue to be the most productive flies next to the larger streamers. Falling nighttime lows will help fishing to get even better than it already is.

 

Spin fishing has been best with a small kastmaster and rooster tails or powerbait off the bottom. Fly fisherman in float tubes are doing well with sheep creek specials and midge larva under an indicator or fishing small streamers slowly trolled behind a float tube.

RYE PATCH

Fishing has slowed down some with the extreme heat but will pick up fall creeps in. Fishing will just continue to improve with good water conditions and the fall temperatures. Spin Fisherman are finding that Rapala minnow imitations are working well in addition to larger brightly colored jigs. Fly Fisherman are picking up an occasional walleye or bass on chartreuse woolly buggers or clouser minnows near the dam.

 

Spooner has been fair from shore and good from float tubes or kayaks. The vegetation hasn’t taken complete control of the shoreline yet leaving some shoreline fishing access. Fly fisherman using callibaetis mayfly emergers late in the day are finding fish on the surface. Slowly retrieved woolly buggers and small leech patterns have worked during the afternoons both from shore and from boats. Powerbait and salmon eggs have also been fishing well under a bobber.

 

Fishing at Squaw Reservoir can be productive through the summer months near the dam for trout or at the inlet for bass.  Now is the best time of year for largemouth bass at the reservoir. Early and late in the day poppers can be effective along and in the shoreline tulles. Spinnerbaits and floating rapalas can also work well along the shoreline for large bass. Fly fishing with sinking lines near the dam out of boats has been fair to good this spring.

 

Topaz has been fishing well, shore anglers with powerbait and boaters trolling flash rigs are doing the best. Most trout are around 12 inches with a few up to 18 reported. Crawlers off the bottom have also been productive early and late in the day. Fishing for trout should remain good and productive through fall.

 

The Truckee is healthy and fishing very well. Flows have bounced around a bit over the last month but seem to have stabilized now at roughly 500 cfs in Reno. Sporadic caddis hatches have been reported in the evenings from downtown to the state line. Good news for those who like to throw dry flies, it’s hopper time on the Truckee. A few larger fish have also shown up recently on small nymphs. Caddis pupa, pheasant tails, and zebra midge are fishing well right now. Spin fisherman using small spinners or salmon eggs have done well near the major parks including; Crystal Peak, Mayberry, and Rock park. LCT and rainbow stocking will continue in the river as temperatures allow.

 

URBAN PONDS

The urban ponds in the western region have received at least one round of stocked trout so far. The Sparks Marina will offer the best chance to catch an array of species while waters like Virginia Lake and Paradise Park Ponds may still hold a number of channel catfish and some carryover rainbow trout. The urban ponds will continue to receive additional plantings into summer as long as water temps allow. Expect Marilyn’s pond or the Crystal Peak ponds at their higher elevations to fish better during the middle of summer.

 

Walker Lake is currently at 44% of capacity and rising. An increase in the lake level is key to the fishery rebounding.

 

WALL CANYON RESERVOIR 

Stocking of several thousand channel catfish and white crappie along with half a million juvenile white bass has occurred in both Little Washoe Lake and Washoe Lake during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Expect slow fishing with some areas being more productive than others. Fishing should be productive in Little Washoe Lake this spring.