Water levels are below 50 percent

Wild Horse Reservoir - Owyhee, NV (Elko County)


by Nevada Department of Wildlife
9-17-2022
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Surface water temperatures have dropped into the high 60’s.  While there is still a fair amount of algae causing problems for shore anglers, It should start to dissipate as the water cools.  Water levels are below 50% and boaters should take care around the island off of the state park boat ramp and in the canyon.  Anglers report fair fishing for trout from boats or float tubes fishing in deeper water.  While shore anglers report fair fishing early in the mornings and slow fishing the rest of the day.  If fishing from shore early morning is still your best bet. Shore anglers will do best where the banks are steep as the water gets deep closer to shore. Bass fishing is fair to good depending upon the day and the weather while perch fishing is slow. For trout, the best flies are chironomids or balanced leeches fished deep. Wooly buggers, PT nymphs, gold ribbed hares ears and damsel fly nymphs may also producing fish in the morning in shallower water. Fly fishermen need to use a fast-sinking line to get down deep enough to put the presentation in front of the fish. Boaters will do well trolling flashers tipped with a worm using downriggers.  For bait anglers fishing from shore, 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.  Smallmouth bass fishing continues to be good.  For bass, dark colored soft plastic grubs and crankbaits are working. The riprap along the highway in the Penrod arm is a good place for bass.   For wipers, target the mouths of Penrod and Hendricks arms on the north east side of the lake though expect wiper fishing to be slow to fair.  Wipers are piscivorous (a big word for eating other fish) and so swimbaits and minnow imitation lures fished with a fairly fast retrieve should be used. Wiper fishing has been slow to fair. The limit is one black bass and one white bass hybrid with a minimum size of 15 inches.