Catnip Reservoir Fishing Guide, Washoe County, Nevada

• Overview

  Catnip Reservoir lies in Washoe County, in Nevada. Height above sea level is 5,794 feet. Surface area is around 73 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The edge runs 1.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. 49 miles away sits Lakeview, the nearest town. Further out sit Alturas (63 miles) and Winnemucca (111 miles). It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Catnip Reservoir

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Across Washoe County, recorded fish include tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Catnip Reservoir gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 28°F and August at about 66°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn are the strongest, but nothing is truly closed. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. March through May is the strongest run, with October and November a second stretch. That shapes the year on Catnip Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Round Mountain Lake sits 3.2 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Catnip Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.