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Elko Angler Mike Artemis with a beautiful redband trout from the Jarbidge River he caught the last week of June. Flows in northern Nevada streams are ideal for fishing right now.
Here is an update on the yellow perch die-off at Wildhorse Reservoir. The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) took biological samples from the perch and sent them off to US Fish and Wildlife Service Bozeman Fish Health Center for study of histology, virology and bacteria.
Preliminary results given to NDOW show that most of the yellow perch were infected with the bacteria Aeromonas septicemia. This is a naturally occurring disease in freshwater fish. The bacteria is believed to have been present before last winter’s ice formed.
By itself, it doesn’t generally cause much mortality. However, combined with other stressors it can contribute to the death of fish. In this case the stressors were multiple including an overabundance of perch competing for the same resources, low dissolved oxygen levels in the water right after ice-off, the spring spawn and finally the bacteria all contributed to the die-off.
There are still perch in the lake as they are occasionally showing up in the creel. Being prolific spawners, they should rebound naturally if water levels don’t get too low due to the ongoing drought. NDOW has recently stocked the lake with wipers (white bass x striped bass hybrid) which should help to control the perch population in the open water, while naturally reproducing smallmouth bass in the lake help to control the population along the shore and structure areas.
There is a silver lining to this as the lake was very overpopulated with perch who compete with other species of fish for the same food source (primarily aquatic invertebrates) and of course for oxygen when dissolved oxygen levels are low either due to very warm water or a long winter under the ice.
The balance is better now allowing all species of fish to thrive and grow to a more desirable size for anglers to catch. The lake is currently around 50% of capacity and with little precipitation in sight is expected to drop even more due to irrigation and evaporation. With much of the perch overpopulation removed from the lake the remaining fish should do much better.
While the risk is low, according NDOW, “This bacteria family does have some strains that can affect humans, especially with compromised immunities. Using safe fish handling, avoiding contact with water if you have open wounds and avoiding the ingestion of the water will further reduce the potential risk.”
Surface water temperatures have moved to around 70 degrees and algae is growing and staining the water. With the warmer surface water temperatures, the trout are moving into deeper water. Anglers continue to report good fishing for trout from boats or float tubes, while shore anglers report fair fishing in the mornings. Bass fishing is good and a few wipers have been showing up in the creel. For trout, the same fly patterns continue to work as fly fishermen are having some success with black or wine colored leech patterns as well as wine or red chironomids. Damselflies and Mayflies are hatching so damselfly nymphs and dries are working as are Mayfly patterns such as Adams, blue winged olives and pale morning duns. Wooly buggers, PT nymphs, gold ribbed hares ears and damsel fly nymphs are also producing a few fish. For bait anglers try fishing an inflated worm a few feet off the bottom using a slip sinker in deeper water. 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. For bass, dark colored soft plastic grubs and crankbaits are working. Smallmouths are now legal to keep. The limit is one bass 15 inches or longer.
Surface water temperatures have moved into high 60s to low 70s and fishing for bass has been good. With the warmer temperatures and sunny days, the algae and the weed beds at the south end of the lake are growing. Fishing has been fair to good for 15-to 20-inch trout for spin, bait and fly rodders from boats or float tubes but just fair for shore anglers. The best time to fish from shore is between sunup and 9 a.m. when the water closer to shore is cooler. Wiper fishing has been fair to good with a few nice fish in the six to 10 lb. range being taken. Bait anglers seem to be having the best luck with worms floated off the bottom about 20-30 feet from shore in deeper water. Fly fishermen report that fishing has also been fair to good for trout. Damsels are hatching and damselfly nymphs and dries are catching fish. Black or red snow cones with a white bead and contrasting red or black wire ribbing fished under an indicator have also been working. Black, olive or purple wooly buggers and leech patterns are other patterns to try. Mayflies are hatching so the usual Mayfly patterns such as pale morning duns (PMDs), Adams, light Cahills and blue winged olives should work. Spin fishermen should be using gold-colored spinners or lures for trout. Bass are taking dark soft plastic baits with sparkles in colors such as blue, motor oil, purple and dark green. Crankbaits are also working for bass as are poppers in low light still water conditions. Anglers also report catching wipers trolling the same soft plastic baits. South Fork was stocked with 500 wipers and 10,000 catfish last month. Both smallmouth and largemouth bass may be kept. The limit is one black bass 15 inches or longer.
Almost dry and no fish.
Very little change here as continue to report good fishing for chunky 13-to-16-inch trout and smaller bass as the surface water temperatures climb higher to around 70 degrees. The best trout fishing is from a float tube or a small cartop boat or canoe as the boat ramp is unusable. Fly fishermen seem to be having the best luck using leech, wooly buggers and chironomids. Damselfly nymphs are working as well. Mayflies are starting to hatch so pale morning duns (PMD’s), Adams and other Mayfly dries and emergers should start working. Bass are active and showing up in the creel though mostly smaller fish are being reported. Anglers should use the same presentations, colors and techniques that are being used at South Fork Reservoir – dark soft plastic grubs and crankbaits. Poppers can be effective during low light still water conditions. Wilson was planted with approximately 12,000 trout this spring.
With the warmer temperatures the bass bite at Ruby Lake NWR continues to be good, though it is taking approximately 10 bass to catch a keeper. Minimum keeper size is 10 inches. Many anglers report catching as many as 50 bass days per angler but limits of 10 bass per angler are hard to come by. Soft plastic grubs in blue, black or purple seemed to work the best. The bass aren’t hitting until about mid-morning when the sun is higher in the sky and warming the surface. Best fishing seems to start about noon. Fishing conditions in the collection ditch have been good recently for 13 to 18-inch fish depending upon the day and location. Anglers report catching small bass in unit 21, along the dikes and at the main boat ramp. The wind is also playing a part in the fishing. Best days seem to be when there are light to moderate winds to break the surface up, but not so strong as to interfere with casting. Winds are expected to be 10 to 20 mph this weekend so anglers need to find the sweet spot between the time the bass start hitting in mid-morning but before the afternoon winds pick up. In the collection ditch the weeds are growing, but anglers report good fishing for trout with the best time being early in the day. Chironomid patterns such as zebra midges, Yankee buzzers, chromies and ice cream cones should work. Other flies such as leech patterns, balanced leeches, crystal buggers, #14-16 hare’s ears, and #16-18 PT nymphs fished under an indicator are recommended. Stripping damselfly nymphs is also effective and damsel dry flies have taken a few large fish. Dry flies are also working. Size 12 to 18 elk hair caddis, blue winged olives (size 14 to 18), ants (size 12 to 16) and Griffith’s gnats (size 14 to 18) should all be effective and hoppers are out. Spin anglers should be using small spinners in black or olive with contrasting yellow or red colors.
The lake level is still good, though being drawn down due to irrigation. Surface water temperatures in the high 60’s and the weeds are growing making shore fishing difficult, but not impossible yet. With the warmer water the bass have become active and fishing for them is good using soft plastic dark colored grubs and spinnerbaits. Worms seem to be the presentation of choice for trout, though small spinners should also work for those who want to throw some hardware. Fly rodders should be using chironomids, PT nymphs, hare’s ears, small black or olive buggers and leeches. Dry flies are working as well. The usual dries such as Adams, Griffith’s gnats, PMD’s and damselfly dries are all working.
The water level is good and anglers can expect to catch hatchery size, 8-to-10-inch rainbows. Fishing for Largemouth Bass will be slow because the drawdowns over the last few winters but there are a few bass left in the reservoir. NDOW will continue to work to rebuilding the Largemouth Bass fishery with augmentations this summer.
Cave Lake is lowered to minimum and unfishable. Fish stocking will resume once the dam repairs are completed. Cave Lake is closed to fishing due to shorelines that are very soft and dangerous due to the complete saturation of the soil as the lake is drained. By draining the lake, it should shave a couple of years off the re-building of the dam and cut costs tremendously. It will also make the project much safer for those performing the work. For more information on Cave Lake, please contact the NDOW Ely Field Office.
Not much change here as surface water temperatures are in the high 60s to 70 degrees and fishing is fair to good for quality 15-to-18-inch rainbow trout and good for bass. Although not as common, anglers will be to catch Brown Trout and Tiger Trout in the lake. These fish are currently running between 12 and 16 inches, however there is potential to hook into a 20+ inch Brown Trout. Nightcrawlers have been working for trout though anglers have also been doing well using PowerBait. Black or olive wooly buggers and black, olive or wine-colored leech patterns should produce trout. Damselfly nymphs are becoming active and will soon be hatching. Bass fishing has been good and they are hitting on soft plastic worms and grubs in a variety of colors as well as swimbaits and lures. Northern Pike fishing appears to be picking up in recent weeks, with a handful of 20-to-24-inch pike being caught. Spinning tackle has produced the best results for pike. Anglers please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several Northern Pike. These pike will have an orange Floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna (~ 7 inches long) coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes. All other pike should be humanely dispatched. There is no limit on the pike. The lake has been stocked with approximately 14,900 trout this spring.
Surface water temperatures are approaching 70 degrees and fishing has been fair to good for eight-to 10-inch stocked trout with an occasional larger carryover fish. With the dry conditions, irrigation is ongoing and the water level at this reservoir is continuing to drop. Anglers will do well with a variety of night crawlers, PowerBait, and spinners. For bait anglers nightcrawlers and rainbow PowerBait are the best bet. Small spinners, spoons and Kastmasters in gold for those throwing hardware should work. Black or olive wooly buggers and black, olive or wine-colored leech patterns are catching trout. Dry fly patterns are also working. Brown trout are in the creek above the reservoir. Anglers should fish deeper as the trout move down in the water column to find cooler oxygen rich water.
Anglers continue to report good fishing for both rainbow and tiger trout on small black or olive crystal or wooly buggers as well as black leeches. Chironomids, pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears and soft hackles under an indicator or dry fly should also work. Spin fishermen should try small gold or silver spinners. Bait anglers should have some luck with worms under a bobber or PowerBait fished off the bottom.
The high mountain lakes have opened up for fishing and this is a great place to beat the heat. Fishing should be good using sub-surface presentations such as small spinners, worms and small crystal buggers and leech patterns. Nymphs under an indicator or dry fly are also effective. Look for overhanging brush, large submerged boulders and where snowmelt runs into the lake for trout. With the warmer weather the snow has receded and anglers should have good access.
Stream flows in most streams in northern Nevada are ideal for fishing, while central Nevada the flows are low making fishing a bit difficult. Lamoille Creek is now at good flows for fishing. With the poor snowpack and the unusually warm spring, anglers should take advantage of early summer conditions while they can. Expect very low stream flows later this summer. The river above South Fork Reservoir has been slow fishing while below the reservoir fishing is better. The tailwater below Wildhorse Reservoir is actually getting more difficult to fish as flows have increased substantially as water is drawn out of the reservoir for irrigation. As of July 8, the East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 166 cfs below the dam as the irrigation season is on, and 187 cfs by the time it reaches Mountain City. The Bruneau River has dropped to a low 16.5 cfs but is currently fishing well. The Jarbidge also fishing well at 26.8 cfs, Salmon Falls Creek down to 66 cfs, Lamoille Creek at 40.9 cfs, the South Fork of the Humboldt down to 19 to 28 cfs and well below the median of 170 cfs for this time of year, Cleve Creek at a very low 1.61 cfs, Steptoe Creek at 2.2 cfs and Kingston Creek at 2.2 cfs. Cleve, Steptoe and Kingston Creeks are very low for this time of year and fishing is difficult except in the pools.
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Elko Angler Mike Artemis with a beautiful redband trout from the Jarbidge River he caught the last week of June. Flows in northern Nevada streams are ideal for fishing right now.
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