Fishing

Jarbidge River

For many anglers, catching a wily bull trout is the final leg of the International Game Fish Association’s “Trout Royal Slam,” the brag-worthy mission to land each of seven coveted trout species. In summer and fall, cast dry flies in the Jarbidge River and you might just hook into one of these olive green beauties (catch-and-release only) along one of the best fishing spots in the state. Even if you don’t, these wild streams are packed with plenty of redbands, brookies, and rainbows to go around. 

Lamoille Canyon Beaver Ponds & the Ruby Mountains

Glacier-carved summits, deep U-shaped canyons, free-flowing streams and trout-filled alpine lakes make the Rubies top of the list for any hiker and fisherman. For laid-back and relaxed fishing, drive right up to Angel Lake or the Lamoille Canyon beaver ponds and cast for brookies, rainbows, and tiger trout. Or head into the crowdless mountain range encircling them—one of the most beautiful in the state for a backcountry angling adventure—at Island, Lamoille, Liberty, or Overton Lakes. 

Pyramid Lake

In the film “On Golden Pond,” Henry Fonda chases a huge trout called Walter. Land a monster that’ll make Walter look tiny at this turquoise desert gem, surrounded by sculpted tufa formations. Float tubes, boats, and fly casting from the shoreline are all fair game at Pyramid Lake, but hooking into one of its gargantuan Lahontan cutthroats (the record stands at 41 pounds) often requires unorthodox methods. Anglers stand on ladders in a few feet of water so they can cast to the lakebed’s drop-off. When’s the last time you and your fishing buddies did that?

Truckee River

When Tahoe’s snow runoff slows in early summer, anglers fish the 110-mile-long Truckee River for rainbow, brown, and cutthroat trout. The river’s western section from Tahoe to Reno is steep, fast, and cold, so pull out your dry flies. The eastern section from Reno to Pyramid Lake is warmer and slower, with banks blanketed in sagebrush tufts and shady cottonwoods shading holes home to trophy-size river fish, especially wild browns and rainbows. 

Lake Mead

Formed by Hoover Dam, massive Lake Mead straddles Nevada and Arizona. While anglers may be rewarded with a smorgasbord of fish, when it comes to Lake Mead, baby, it’s all about that bass. Bait your lure with anchovies and you might haul in a 40-pound striped bass. At dawn and dusk, a largemouth bass could take your hook. If you’re looking for black crappie, bluegill, or channel catfish, fish the lake’s upper Overton Arm—where you can also rent fishing boats, houseboats, and more. 

Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Situated in the Great Basin of the West, just south of Elko, this National Wildlife Refuge is an unsuspectingly lush wetland oasis, perched right in the heart of Nevada’s high desert. Sprawling across more than 350,000 acres of land, the marsh is 16 miles long and packed with six species of trout—rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat, cutbow, and tiger. Fish from the shoreline, or jump in a drift boat to bask in one of Nevada’s only largemouth bass fisheries. 

Topaz Lake

In the Lake Tahoe area and looking to dip away from the crowds? Head for Topaz Lake, which straddles the Nevada-California state line, just south of beautiful Carson Valley. A manmade reservoir created in 1922, this high-desert stunner is loaded with rainbows, bowcutt trout, brown trout, and tiger trout. Set up camp at one of the recreation area’s spacious, modern campsites to take advantage of the lake’s fish cleaning station, boat ramp, and drive-up beaches. 

Walker River State Recreation Area

After 125 years in private hands, the splendor of this coveted slice of the Silver State is ours to enjoy. Spanning 12,000 acres of rangeland—including 29 miles of the East Walker River and a fabled section known as ”The Elbow”—this storied stretch of riverway beckons locals and visitors alike. Here, in accordance with the section’s pristine and undeveloped character, visitors will find nearly two dozen primitive campsites with direct access to the water’s edge. 

Beaver Dam State Park

In need of an off-grid reset? We can’t think of a much better escape than Beaver Dam State Park—Nevada’s most remote and least trafficked state park. The park’s deep canyons, flowing streams, and waterfalls deliver the perfect backcountry escape for camping, fishing, picnicking, hiking, and wildlife spotting opps imaginable. Head for the Oak Knoll Trail—an easy hike that skirts a flowing stream stocked with rainbow trout. For small-stream fly fishermen and fans of Tenkara style fishing, it’s hard to beat these cool runs. 

Great Basin National Park

If Nevada’s tallest peaks and the darkest skies in the country aren’t enough to get you to Great Basin, the fishing certainly will. Brimming with alpine lakes, this Nevada national park is home to one native fish species—the Bonneville cutthroat trout—and is stocked with Lahontan cutthroat, rainbows, brookies and brown trout. Basecamp at 10,000 feet elevation at Wheeler Peak Campground, which provides easy access to the Alpine Lakes Loop hiking trail, ancient bristlecone pines, and the last active glacier in Nevada.