Hot Lake, Nevada: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Hot Lake is one of the Elko County waters in Nevada. It sits in dry rangeland. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Battle Mountain lies 36 miles from the water. It is 173 miles to Boise, the nearest city. What else is close: 12 miles out stands Willow Creek Reservoir, Mud Lake just 14 miles and 29 miles out stands North Fork Little Humboldt River. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Hot Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Across Elko County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, tahoe sucker and great basin cutthroat trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Hot Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 71°F and January near 27°F. Whether it freezes depends on the year. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. June to September is hot work, so the first and last hours are what count. On Hot Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Willow Creek Reservoir is 12 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Hot Lake for certain.