Smoke Creek Reservoir Fishing in Washoe County, Nevada

• Overview

  Smoke Creek Reservoir lies in Washoe County, in Nevada. The water sits 4,360 feet up. The water covers some 74 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.8 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Johnstonville lies 35 miles from the water. Reno sits 76 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Smoke Creek Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Reported across Washoe County: tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Read Smoke Creek Reservoir before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 70°F at the top of summer and 31°F at the bottom of winter. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. It is not guaranteed from one year to the next. November and March are the quiet, comfortable months to be out. The season on Smoke Creek Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Dewey Parker Reservoir, 12 miles out. Signs at Smoke Creek Reservoir carry more weight than any list.