Fishing Steer Lake in Washoe County, Nevada

• Overview

  Steer Lake is listed under Washoe County, Nevada. Elevation runs to 5,860 feet. Around 33 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Nearest town is Johnstonville, 52 miles off. Reno sits 96 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Near neighbours: Burnt Lake at 1.1 miles, Garden Lake 2 miles away, Willow Lake at 4.2 miles, SOB Lake 4.5 miles away and Dry Steer Lake at 4.7 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Steer Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. 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. Records held for Washoe County cover tahoe sucker, great basin cutthroat trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Work Steer Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 28°F to 66°F. The year turns gently, without extremes at either end. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. The season on Steer Lake follows the weather closely. Water temperature lags behind air temperature by days, not hours.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapped as intermittent, it fills after rain and shrinks between. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Burnt Lake sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Steer Lake.