Great Basin
Fly fishing in Nevada
Short answer
Nevada fly fishing is desert lake and Great Basin stream fishing, with Lahontan cutthroat, rainbow, brown and brook trout. Pyramid Lake, the Truckee and the East Walker are the headline waters. A state licence is required from age 12, but Pyramid Lake is tribal water and needs a permit from the Paiute Tribe instead.
What makes Nevada different
Pyramid Lake is unlike any other trout fishery in the world. It is a desert terminal lake north of Reno, the remnant of an inland sea, and it holds Lahontan cutthroat trout that grow past twenty pounds — the largest cutthroat on earth. The strain fishing there now was thought extinct for decades until a relict population was found in a small creek on the Utah border and brought back. The fishing is strange to watch and stranger to do: anglers stand on aluminium stepladders in the shallows, several feet above the water, casting out over a drop-off they otherwise could not reach. And it is not state water. The lake lies entirely within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation and is fished on a permit issued by the Tribe, bought from the Tribe, under the Tribe's rules — not Nevada's. Buy it from them and ask them what else you need.
What trout are in Nevada?
- Lahontan cutthroat
- Native to the Great Basin, and at Pyramid Lake the largest cutthroat trout anywhere.
- Brown trout
- The East Walker and the Truckee, where they get large and sulky.
- Rainbow trout
- Widespread in the rivers and the stocked mountain lakes.
- Brook trout
- Small high streams in the Rubies and the Jarbidge country.
- Bull trout
- The Jarbidge River holds the southernmost population in the world. Protected — do not target them.
Where to fly fish in Nevada
- Pyramid Lake
- Tribal water, tribal permit. Stepladders, shooting heads and the biggest cutthroat in the world.
- Truckee River
- Out of Tahoe and through Reno. Big browns, technical water, and more of it public than people expect.
- East Walker River
- Below Bridgeport Reservoir. A tailwater holding heavy browns, shared with California.
- Ruby Mountains lakes
- Alpine lakes above Lamoille Canyon, reached on foot. Brook and rainbow trout.
- Jarbidge River
- Remote northeastern canyon water, and the southernmost bull trout on earth.
- Angel Lake
- A high cirque lake near Wells. Easy to reach and cold in midsummer.
When to fly fish in Nevada
| When | What is happening |
|---|---|
| October – December | Pyramid Lake's season opens. Cold, windy, and the fish moving into the shallows. |
| January – March | The best weeks at Pyramid for a big fish. Dress for standing still in a desert winter. |
| April – June | Pyramid finishes at the end of June. Mountain streams start as the snow leaves. |
| July – August | High country and tailwaters only. The East Walker fishes on dam releases through the heat. |
| September | Cooling water, brown trout colouring up on the Truckee, and the alpine lakes at their best. |
Do you need a license to fly fish in Nevada?
Yes. Licenses are issued by Nevada Department of Wildlife.
| License | Price |
|---|---|
| Resident, annual | $40 |
| Non-resident, annual | $80 |
Figures are NDOW's published rates for an annual adult fishing licence. There is no separate trout stamp. Pyramid Lake is not covered by this licence at all — it is tribal water with its own permit. Prices change — check with the agency before you buy.
Rules worth knowing before you go
- A Nevada fishing licence is required from age 12 for state waters.
- Pyramid Lake lies entirely within the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation and is fished on a permit issued by the Tribe. Buy it from the Tribe, follow their rules and seasons, and ask them directly what else is required — do not assume a Nevada licence covers you there.
- Pyramid Lake is artificial flies and lures with barbless hooks, and has its own season and slot limits set by the Tribe.
- Bull trout in the Jarbidge drainage are protected and may not be targeted.
- The East Walker is shared with California, and the state line matters. Check which licence you need for the stretch you are standing in.
Regulations change every year and vary water by water. The Nevada Department of Wildlife rule book is the only authority — this page is a starting point, not a legal reference.
Flies that matter in Nevada
Each of these is a card in the deck, and each has a full page in Our Fly-brary.
Keep reading
- Do I need a fishing license? — how licensing works across states
- How to read water — where trout hold, anywhere
- Best time of day to fly fish — the seasonal logic behind the table above
- Our Fly-brary — every fly in the deck, explained
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The deck
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