Bass fishing has picked up

Wild Horse Reservoir - Owyhee, NV (Elko County)


by Nevada Department of Wildlife
6-17-2022
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Anglers report that trout fishing from shore has slowed but for those who can get on the water either in a float tube or boat success has been better but not as good as it has been.  Perch fishing has been poor due to the die-off though a few are being reported in the creel with few to no perch being reported in the creel.  Bass fishing has picked up and anglers report some nice bass, though they must be immediately returned to the lake until July 1. Windy conditions seem to provide better fishing success for trout than calm conditions though the winds forecast for this weekend may make it dangerous to be on the water.  For trout, the same fly patterns continue to work as fly fishermen are having some success with wine colored leech patterns as well as wine or red chironomids.  Olive, wine and black/blood leeches and buggers have also produced a few fish.  For bait anglers try fishing an inflated worm a few feet off the bottom using a slip sinker in water that is eight to 12 feet deep.  Another option would be to roll some PowerBait to make a bell shape and fish it in a similar fashion to the inflated worm using a slip sinker and it will float up a couple of feet above the bottom.  Make sure to dip the PowerBait in the water for a few seconds after it is on the hook to “gel” it up so it doesn’t come off the hook when casting. Wildhorse was stocked with 10,000 trout in early April, approximately 5,000 trout in May and 500 wipers a few weeks ago.  No black bass may be kept until July 1. Please return all black bass to the lake as soon as they are caught