Little Washoe Lake Fishing Guides
The small northern lake of the Washoe Valley pair under the Carson Range, shallow, warm and prone to going almost dry in a drought cycle.
Guides on the Little Washoe Lake
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About the Little Washoe Lake
Little Washoe Lake lies at the north end of Washoe Valley, immediately downstream of the much larger Washoe Lake, in the trough between the Virginia Range to the east and the steep east front of the Carson Range to the west. Slide Mountain and Mount Rose rise directly above it, and the valley sits between Reno and Carson City on the main highway. Steamboat Creek carries the outflow north toward the Truckee River, which makes this small lake the last impoundment in a system that drains into the Truckee rather than a closed basin.
Shallowness governs everything here. The lake is small and only a few feet deep across much of its area, so it warms quickly in summer, freezes readily in winter and responds dramatically to drought. In the dry stretches that recur through this part of the Great Basin both Washoe lakes have gone very low, and Washoe Lake above has dried completely more than once in living memory, taking the fishery with it each time. Recovery depends on wet winters refilling the system and on restocking afterward, so the fishing here is genuinely cyclical rather than merely variable.
When water is present the lake supports a warmwater fishery. Largemouth bass, yellow perch, crappie, channel catfish and bullhead are the mainstays, with carp abundant and tui chub native to the system. Rainbow trout are stocked at times and provide a cool season fishery. Sacramento perch, a native Californian species long established in Nevada waters, occur here as well. Access is easy from the state park and the highway, and the setting under the Carson Range is a large part of the appeal for anglers working an afternoon out of Reno.
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Access
Washoe Lake State Park - the state park serving both lakes, with ramps, camping and day use areas.
Washoe Lake - the larger lake immediately south and the main fishery of the pair.
Steamboat - the community at the north end, with the gauge reference point and highway access.
Carson City - the state capital south, with tackle shops, lodging and full services.
Reno - twenty minutes north, with the nearest major airport and the fullest services in the region.
Truckee River - the receiving river north, with a well regarded trout fishery through Reno.
Mount Rose - the Carson Range crest west, with alpine lakes and high country streams.
Seasons
Spring: rising and cool after a wet winter, with the best trout fishing and bass moving shallow as water warms.
Summer: hot, shallow and weedy, with bass and panfish fishing early and late and the lake very low in dry years.
Fall: cooling and settled, with good perch and bass fishing and the clearest water of the warm season.
Winter: often frozen, with limited ice fishing when it is safe and the lake at its lowest in drought cycles.
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Questions
What species can you catch on the Little Washoe Lake?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Bullhead, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Sacramento Perch, Tui Chub, White Crappie, Yellow Perch on the Little Washoe Lake in Nevada.
Where can you access the Little Washoe Lake?
Washoe Lake State Park - the state park serving both lakes, with ramps, camping and day use areas. Washoe Lake - the larger lake immediately south and the main fishery of the pair. Steamboat - the community at the north end, with the gauge reference point and highway access. Carson City - the state capital south, with tackle shops, lodging and full services. Reno - twenty minutes north, with the nearest major airport and the fullest services in the region. Truckee River - the receiving river north, with a well regarded trout fishery through Reno. Mount Rose - the Carson Range crest west, with...
When is the best time to fish the Little Washoe Lake?
Spring: rising and cool after a wet winter, with the best trout fishing and bass moving shallow as water warms. Summer: hot, shallow and weedy, with bass and panfish fishing early and late and the lake very low in dry years. Fall: cooling and settled, with good perch and bass fishing and the clearest water of the warm season. Winter: often frozen, with limited ice fishing when it is safe and the lake at its lowest in drought cycles.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Little Washoe Lake?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Nevada agency site: https://www.ndow.org/fishing/regulations/