Beat the Heat: Tackle Mountain Streams and Lakes

Looking to escape the blistering heat gripping the state? Enjoy some good fishing in the mountain streams and lakes of western and central Nevada.

The waters have been stocked and the high water flows that we saw this spring and early summer have come down a bit.

“In central Nevada, trout fishing should be good in the Toiyabe, Toquima, Monitor and White ranges,” said Brian Eller, game warden with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW).

Some of the better streams for finding trout are Barley and Mosquito creeks in the Monitor Range and Pine Creek in the Toquima Range north of Tonopah. All three have U.S. Forest Service campgrounds and NDOW recently stocked the streams with rainbow trout.

Live worms and flies have been the tickets for catching fish from the streams. Grasshoppers are particularly effective and Eller said that fishers may want to catch them for use as bait.

More adventurous anglers may want to head up Barley Creek to its confluence with Cottonwood Creek and then hike several miles up Cottonwood to the beaver ponds. Here their efforts will be rewarded with scrappy little brook trout.

One caution for anglers heading up Barley Creek is that there are a number of water crossings, so a heavy-duty vehicle, preferably 4-wheel-drive, is advised.

Eller said that Big Creek in the Toiyabe Range south of Austin has been stocked with rainbow trout and fishing has been good there as well. Groves Lake in Kingston Canyon southeast of Austin has been productive for stocked rainbow trout and there have been reports of brown trout weighing up to three pounds caught in the lake.

Chiatovitch Creek and Trail Canyon Reservoir in the White Mountains northwest of Dyer have had very little recent fishing pressure, even though the trout fishing has been good. The small reservoir and creek can be reached from a graded road that is located 16 miles north of Dyer off State Route 264.

Heavy-duty vehicles are required for reaching the reservoir and stream. Camping is permitted although there are no maintained campgrounds on the area.

In western Nevada, Sierra streams have been stocked this summer with catchable rainbow trout. “ Galena and Thomas Creeks also have good populations of wild rainbow and brook trout,” said Kim Tisdale, NDOW’s Western Region Fisheries Biologist. “Nearby Whites Creek will offer good-sized stocked rainbow trout as well,” she continued. All three creeks can be accessed from the Mount Rose Highway, and are close to Reno.

A three-and-a-half mile hike down from from Tahoe Meadows (off the Mount Rose Highway) will take you to Price Lake. This lake can also be accessed via a steep 3.5 mile hike from Davis Creek Park.

Up in the Carson Range anglers will find Hobart Reservoir a beautiful setting. Great fishing can be found at Hobart from June to September, so the five-mile hike from the trail head at the top of Hobart Road in Lakeview Estates is well worth the effort. Hobart can also be accessed from Ash Canyon, however, due to the Waterfall Fire, this road is only open to foot traffic until further notice.

While anglers and campers will find cooler weather than is found at lower elevations, NDOW is advising that daytime temperatures can still be very warm. NDOW recommends that anglers bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and insect repellent.

Check with the U.S. Forest Service about fire restrictions before going on a camping trip. Everyone headed to the outdoors should be very careful with fire and smoking material. Also, refer to NDOW fishing regulations; limits and closed waters vary by area.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is the state agency responsible for the restoration and management of fish and wildlife resources, and the promotion of boating safety on Nevada’s waters. Wildlife offices are located in Las Vegas, Henderson, Winnemucca, Fallon, Elko, and Reno. For more information, contact the agency web site at www.ndow.org.

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