Elko County Fish Reports

The water is down seasonally due to irrigation, but expect good conditions for bass and fair for trout. The boat ramp is still in the water so anglers are able to launch boats.  Bass are hitting top water gear including blue damselfly adult flies as well as poppers and spinner baits when the wind dies down.  Dark soft plastic grubs are also working for bass. 

Fishing has been good for fly fishermen using a variety of presentations.  Dry fly fishing has been productive as has stripping small leech and bugger patterns.  Hoppers, stimulators, elk hair caddis, Adams, Griffith’s gnats, red quills and just about any small dry fly should work.  Small worms seem to work better than PowerBait here.  Also small spinners in black and gold or dark green and

Fishing for trout at South Fork continues to be slow and trout have moved down in the water column with the heat making it more difficult for shore anglers.  The thermocline in South Fork appears to be about 12 to15 feet down and fishing just above it will give you the best chance for trout.  Boaters are having the best luck for trout.  Bass fishing

Very little change here as fishing for trout has been fair to good at Zunino. The water level is low, which should have the fish concentrated, though anglers may have to walk through some mud in areas to reach the shoreline.  PowerBait, nightcrawlers, and dark spinners with some red or yellow accents seem to be working.  Brown or olive nymphs as well as red copper

Fishing continues to be good at the collection ditch.  The water is clear and levels are good.  Small spinners and minnow imitations were producing some fish for spin fishermen, but fly rodders were doing better.  Fly rodders should be using hare’s ears, pheasant tails, prince nymphs, midge patterns, leeches, and wooly buggers. On the warmer afternoons, there have been some small mayfly and midge hatches

Fishing continues to be good at Wildhorse, with fish averaging 14 to 18 inches with the occasional 20+ inch fish coming in.  Anglers report success all along the state park shoreline, Hendricks arm, Penrod and north to the last cove before the canyon to the dam.  On the west side, fishing has been good near the warm springs.  Sherbet and rainbow PowerBait seems to be

Due to a damaged outflow structure, the lake has completely drained.  Barrick Gold is in the process of wrapping up the work on the dam.  Unfortunately, with a mild winter, the snow pack isn’t enough to allow the capture of water this summer.  NDOW will be performing some habitat improvements to the bottom of the lake later this summer while the lake is empty to

The road to Wilson is very rough, so take it slow.  The lake is spilling, barely, but it is spilling. There is not much snow pack in the mountains, so don’t expect it to spill very long and there won’t be many fish going over to the pools below the spillway.  The surface water temperature is in the mid to high 50’s, clearing up, and

The lake is ice covered and the road to Angel Lake is closed.  NDOT plans to start working on clearing the road next week, but workers may be pulled off for other jobs depending upon priority.  Their goal is to have it open by Memorial Day Weekend. 

Fishing has slowed once again at South Fork, though those fish being caught are nice fish.  Fly rodders seem to be doing better than bait or gear fishermen.  While fishing is slow to fair, anglers report catching some trout along the northeast side of the lake between the campground and the dam.­ The south end of the lake is also starting to produce wipers and