Captain Johnson Reservoir in Washoe County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Captain Johnson Reservoir is one of the Washoe County listings for Nevada. Height above sea level is 5,597 feet. It runs to roughly 91 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. There is roughly 2.5 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. Nearest place of any size is Alturas, 43 miles away. Lakeview lies 52 miles off, Susanville another 95 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Captain Johnson Reservoir

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Open biodiversity records for Washoe County list tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and brown bullhead. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Captain Johnson Reservoir fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 67°F and January near 29°F on the long-run figures. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. At Captain Johnson Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public mapping marks it as seasonal water rather than permanent. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, West Lake is 3.5 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Captain Johnson Reservoir for certain.