Fishing at Pyramid Lake, Washoe County, Nevada

• Overview

  Look for Pyramid Lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Beyond the shoreline you have sage and rock. At 170.3 sq miles you are fishing a fraction of it whatever you do. The shoreline turns in and out enough to give you a choice of aspect. It is the biggest water on our Washoe County list. The nearest town is Spanish Springs, 29 miles away. Beyond it, Lemmon Valley at 32 miles and Golden Valley at 33 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Pyramid Lake

  Our records give 356 ft, so you have a figure to work from. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Washoe County include tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, brown bullhead and brown trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. On Pyramid Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 38°F and July at about 69°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season runs year-round, with the peak either side of summer. The cooler months are the comfortable ones to be out. Late winter often fishes better here than midsummer does. On Pyramid Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Spanish Flat Reservoir is 12 miles distant. Treat Pyramid Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.