Doucette: Cold front will clear waters of vegetation, might freeze some spots
What a difference a few days makes. Monday saw daytime highs in the low 80s around Elko County and today's high is only expected to be around 50, with an overnight low in the 20s. This week's weather pattern is forecast to bring colder temperatures, wind, rain and even some snow.
This combination will help cool the water and start to reduce the algae and kill off the aquatic vegetation that many aquatic insects and leeches call home. And, hopefully, improve trout fishing at area reservoirs.
Leeches live in the weed beds of lakes. As the water temperature cools, the days get shorter and then wind comes along to break up the beds, the weeds start to die, depriving the leeches of their habitat. They end up leaving the weed beds looking for other living arrangements.
This time of year, fish become used to seeing the leeches along the edges of floating weed mats and beds, so fish a balanced leech pattern below an indicator (bobber) along their edges. Anglers may also use an intermediate sink line and strip a wooly bugger, mohair leech, or marabou leech in the same area.
Crayfish also become more mobile while looking for places to hibernate. The young of the year crayfish are a few inches long, so a small crayfish pattern or a small crayfish colored lure fished along the bottom will often produce strikes. Since they burrow in the mud to hibernate, muddy bottoms are the best choice for fishing crayfish patterns.
Free fly tying classes
The Nevada Department of Wildlife will be holding free fly tying classes starting Wednesday, November 6, at 7:00 pm at the NDOW conference room. This is a progressive fly tying class that will take place every Wednesday night except during holiday weeks until the end of February.
There are limited fly tying kits available for loan on a first come first served basis and supplies for the class are provided free of charge by NDOW. To sign up for the class go to . For more information go to www.ndow.org and then go to the education page.
Wild Horse
On Monday, I measured 58 degrees at the main boat ramp at noon. Unfortunately, the warm sunny days saw a resurgence of the surface algae as well as suspended algae, and fishing has just been fair for shore anglers. This week's low pressure system is forecast to bring in much colder temperatures, rain and even some snow. This should break up the surface algae and help diminish the suspended algae and hopefully improve trout fishing.
Boaters are doing better than shore anglers, though shore fishing should pick up after the stormfront blows through. With better water temperatures trout are spread out more and have been cruising the shorelines in the mornings and late evenings. Worms under bobbers or green PowerBait floated off the bottom seem to be doing best. Wooly buggers and leeches stripped on an intermediate or slow sinking line should start producing trout, especially along dying weed beds. Chironomid patterns and balanced leeches under an indicator should also start working as the algae clears.
Bass fishing has slowed, but bass anglers report some larger fish. For bass, anglers should use soft plastic baits in dark or contrasting colors with some sparkle. Crankbaits in perch colors are also working, especially in the coves near vegetation where perch fry are hanging out. For trout, small spinners, rooster tails or panther Martins should work for spin fishermen. Small minnow imitations in perch or chub colors may also catch a few trout. Boaters continue to have good luck trolling flashers tipped with worms or trailing small lures or spinners.
Fishing for perch has been slow to fair for numbers, but poor for size, with fish averaging 4 to 6 inches as the perch population is still recovering from a 2022 die-off.
South Fork Reservoir
The surface water temperature was still holding at 60 degrees at the main boat ramp on Monday and surface algae had increased somewhat. Like Wild Horse we should start to see some clearing with the stormfront moving through this week.
Shore angling for trout was slow to fair this week. Bass fishing has also slowed. For bass, anglers should start switching to crankbaits, minnow imitations, and crawdad imitations. Fish structure for bass, though muddy bottoms are finding some bass chasing crawdads. Trout have moved up in the water column, as well, into shallow waters in search of food. Worms or PowerBait floated off the bottom using a slip sinker or below a bobber in the shallower water should start working for those targeting trout.
Fly fishing has been slow to fair using chironomid with red or black/red with a white bead seeming to work best. Balanced leeches in black/red, wine or olive fished below an indicator should start working for trout as the water clears. Wooly buggers sized 6 to 10 and leech patterns sized 10 to 14 in the black/red, black/blue, wine and dark red stripped on an intermediate or slow sinking line should also work. Fish them along the edges of weed beds.
No recent report on catfish or wipers being caught.
Jiggs/Zunino Reservoir
Surface water temperatures were holding around 60 degrees and fishing has been just fair. On windy days or when there are lots of ducks, the water can be a bit muddy. Use the same presentations and techniques as at South Fork Reservoir.
NDOW is asking anglers to return all bluegill and bass back into the water to help establish those fisheries.
Wilson Reservoir
The water level is good for this time of year and, unlike other reservoirs in the area, there isn't much algae. Visibility is good. Fishing for bass has been fair to good and trout fishing has been good. Surface water temperatures will start dropping into the 50s with the cold front.
The same techniques and presentations that work at South Fork work here. Bass fishing is dropping off with the best areas for bass still along the willows and vegetation near shore using soft plastic jigs and crankbaits and along the riprap on the northern shores.
Ruby Lake NWR
Very little change here. With cooler water temperatures and shorter days, bass fishing is slow and with this weather front will probably shut down.
The good news is fall can often produce some of the largest bass of the year as they put on the feed bag preparing for winter. Bass anglers should use soft plastic baits rigged weedless. Dark colors with some sparkle such as motor oil, guacamole, olive, or blue are good colors to use. Cast right up to the edges of the tules and into pockets and retrieve your presentation in an erratic fashion.
Fishing in the collection ditch has been good for trout averaging 14 to 18 inches with a few fish over 20 inches. Water clarity is good and water levels continue to be very good though vegetation is still thick in many areas. Brown and tiger trout are very active, with some of the best brown/tiger trout fishing around the fingers at the north end of the ditch.
While the grasshoppers have been knocked down, trout are still used to seeing them and they may work for just a bit longer. But with the cold front and precipitation, it is time to switch to sub surface presentations though blue wing olives and midge dry flies may work on warmer sunny afternoons.
Fly anglers have had luck stripping wooly buggers, leeches or small streamers in black or olive using short slow strips. Spin fishermen should be using spinners, Kastmasters, panther Martins and other small lures. It is artificial presentations only in the collection ditch, which includes the pond behind the hatchery all the way to Brown Dike. Wading is not allowed the entire length of the collection ditch.
Jakes Creek/Boies Reservoir
Aquatic vegetation growth is still making shore fishing difficult, so float tubes or small watercraft are the way to go. This will continue until the ice covers the lake.
Fishing has been fair for 13- to 16-inch trout. Either dark or flashy spinners or small plastic baits fished with varying retrieves should work. Worms or PowerBait fished under a bobber is best for bait anglers.
For fly rodders, wooly buggers and leech patterns on a sink tip or intermediate sinking line have been working. The usual assortment of nymph and chironomid patterns are also producing a few fish.
Like other reservoirs in the area bass fishing is slowing and is slow to fair for bass using soft plastic baits and small crankbaits.
Cold Creek Reservoir
Cold Creek Reservoir has water temperatures in the 50s and fishing is fair to good for rainbow trout and tiger trout in the 9- to 12-inch range. Anglers fishing for trout should use spinners, nightcrawlers and PowerBait.
Fly fishers are having luck using midge patterns, leeches or woolly buggers. Bass fishing is fair to good but slowing with colder water temperatures. There is a limited black bass fishery and anglers are encouraged to catch and release these bass to help improve the bass fishery.
Cave Lake
Cave Lake is lowered to minimum pool and unfishable. Cave Lake is closed to fishing due to shorelines that are very soft and dangerous due to the complete saturation of the soil. Dam construction is close to completion. Fish stocking will resume once the construction is completed and the lake starts to fill. That will hopefully be next spring.
Comins Lake
Surface water temperatures are dropping a bit and should drop into the mid 50s after this week's cold front moves through. Rainbow Trout are still being caught by anglers ranging from 16 to 22 inches from shore. Nightcrawlers are producing trout for anglers, as well as spinners and small lures.
Fly fishermen should use leeches, woolly buggers, scud and midge patterns. Black bass fishing is slowing down. Soft plastic lures and crankbaits have been working to catch a few bass.
There is a limited bluegill fishery at Comins Lake and anglers are encouraged to release bluegill so that their population can become better established.
Anglers pursuing northern pike will do well on hard and soft plastic baits, as well as flashy spoons, bucktail streamers and Clouser Minnows. Anglers continue to catch a few northern pike ranging from 18 inches to 30-plus inches.
Please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several northern pike. These pike will have an orange Floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna (~ 7 inches long) coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes. Please do not return pike without the tags back to the lake.
Surface water temperatures are in the high 50s and should drop into the mid to low 50s after this week's cold front moves through. Anglers have been catching a mixed bag of rainbow trout and a few brown trout. Anglers should do well using nightcrawlers, PowerBait, and spinners.
Fly rodders should be using the usual assortment of wooly buggers, leech and chironomid patterns fished under an indicator. Dry flies in the afternoons and evenings are catching some fish. Brown trout are starting to stage near the creek to head up for the spawn so fishing where the creek enters the lake should produce some browns.
Angel Lake
Expect slick roads going up to the lake this weekend and even the possibility that the road may be closed if there is any accumulation of snow. There may even be some ice starting to form in the shady parts of the lake. That being said, trout are preparing for winter and fishing has been good for 8- to 10-inch trout using worms, green PowerBait and small spinners from the dam and along the back side of the lake.
Fly fishermen have had good luck along the back of the lake from float tubes using small dry flies, ants and leech patterns. Small crystal buggers, leech patterns and the usual nymphs under an indicator should work if they aren't hitting dry flies. A dry and dropper rig has been productive, though dry fly fishing will be slowing down after this storm front moves through. Hoppers, elk hair caddis, yellow stimulators and chubby Chernobyls sized 10 to 14 were working for dry flies. Small red chironomid patterns, hares ears, PT nymphs and copper Johns were working as droppers or fished under an indicator.
High Mountain Lakes
Fishing continues to be good to excellent in the high mountain lakes, especially those holding brook and tiger trout. Anglers can expect winter conditions this weekend in the high country and should plan accordingly.
Small spinners and worms have been working at the high mountain lakes. At Angel Lake, trout are hitting just about anything right now. Small crystal and wooly buggers as well as the usual assortment of nymphs and chironomids under an indicator should all work.
Anglers report good fishing for 8- to 11-inch brook trout at Robinson and 9- to 12-inch cutthroat at Hidden Lake using small black and yellow Mepps and Panther Martin spinners.
Fishing for cutthroat was also good at Griswold and Verdi Lakes. Other lakes producing good catches include Liberty, Favre, and Overland Lakes.
With very warm dry fall conditions, many streams are flowing below normal, making fishing difficult. This week's low front should bring some moisture to help improve stream flows, though the cold weather may lock up some of the moisture in the form of ice.
Plants will be going dormant, which should release some moisture in the soils to also help improve stream flows.
On Wednesday, Lamoille Creek was flowing under 3 cfs and even some of the beaver ponds in the upper canyon were very low, making fishing difficult. The beaver ponds further upstream are holding the most water and fishing has been good in those.
The tail water below South Fork is still producing nice trout, but flows are very low so fish are holding in the pools.
Water conditions below Wild Horse Dam in the East Fork of the Owyhee are good and fishing has been good there.
The flows on the Jarbidge and Bruneau rivers have improved a bit though travel here could be precarious after this week's predicted storm front moves through. Anglers should be note that bull trout are spawning in the Jarbidge and its tributaries and should avoid damaging the redds. Anglers venturing into the Mary's River area south of Jarbidge should be aware that the Orange Bridge is closed and may be for a while.
As of Oct. 16th, the East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 14.0 cfs below the dam and 30.8 cfs at Mountain City; the Jarbidge River was flowing at a low 4.85 cfs; the Bruneau River at 9.22 cfs; Salmon Falls Creek at 43.9 cfs; Lamoille Creek at a very low 2.89 cfs; the South Fork of the Humboldt at 6.50 cfs; Cleve Creek at 6.58 cfs; Steptoe Creek at 4.65 cfs; and Kingston Creek at 6.96 cfs.
Joe Doucette is a former public information officer for the Nevada Department of Wildlife for eastern Nevada and also owns the Elko Fly Shop.
