Fishing Massacre Lake in Washoe County, Nevada

• Overview

  Washoe County, Nevada, is where Massacre Lake sits. It sits at 5,623 feet above sea level. Around 5.8 sq miles of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. With 8.3 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. On our Washoe County list it sits near the top for size. Alturas lies 50 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Reno, 147 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Massacre Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Washoe County: tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. The county list is broader than any single water. At Massacre Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 28°F in January to roughly 67°F in August. Neither winter nor summer shuts things down for long. Some winters give nothing at all, so plan for open water. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. The season on Massacre Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. West Lake sits 3.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Massacre Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.