East Fork Spring Creek Fishing in Elko County, Nevada

• Overview

  Set in Elko County, East Fork Spring Creek is a Nevada water. Everything around it is dry open country. 30 miles away sits Jackpot, the nearest town. Hansen follows at 47 miles, then Kimberly at 48 miles. Others worth noting: Etna Reservoir out at 13 miles, Death Creek Reservoir at 15 miles, Mill Creek Reservoir out at 17 miles, Lynn Reservoir at 20 miles and Crittenden Reservoir out at 23 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on East Fork Spring Creek

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The head and tail of a pool beat the body of it. Gravel runs and silted pools fish quite differently, so treat them apart. Open biodiversity records for Elko County list brook trout, rainbow trout and tahoe sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. East Fork Spring Creek gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 23°F and August at about 68°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Cold months ice the margins and pools; moving water stays workable, and everything opens by late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around mid December. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On East Fork Spring Creek that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Etna Reservoir, 13 miles away. Check the position on East Fork Spring Creek before loading the car.