Carson River Fishing Guides
The warmwater tailwater below Lahontan Dam, running through Nevada irrigation country and fished for bass, catfish and walleye that drop down out of the reservoir.
Guides on the Carson River
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About the Carson River
The Carson River below Lahontan Dam is a tailwater of a kind that gets little attention, because it releases warm water rather than cold and the fish are bass and catfish rather than trout. The reach runs east out of the dam through the Lahontan Valley, the irrigated farmland around Fallon, and eventually peters out into the Carson Sink. Its flow is almost entirely a function of irrigation demand, which means it is a managed river in the fullest sense: high and pushing in the growing season, low and thin outside it, and occasionally close to nothing at all in a drought year.
The fishing is good and genuinely overlooked. Largemouth and smallmouth bass hold in the deeper bends and around the rock and woody cover below the dam, white bass and walleye drop down out of Lahontan Reservoir and concentrate in the first few miles of the release where the current and the forage are, and channel catfish are abundant throughout and grow large in the warmer lower reaches. Common carp are everywhere and have quietly become a target for fly anglers who have worked out how good the Lahontan Valley sight-fishing can be in clear water. Bluegill fill the slower margins and the irrigation sloughs. Nothing about this water is famous, which is exactly why it fishes.
The gauge reports discharge and stage but no temperature, and on a river this heavily managed the discharge trace is the whole story. A strong irrigation release spreads fish out, puts current on the structure and makes the upper reach the place to fish; a shut-down release in autumn drops the river into a chain of disconnected pools where the fish concentrate hard and the sight-fishing becomes exceptional for anyone willing to walk. Check the release before driving, because the difference between a good day and a dry channel is entirely a matter of what the dam is doing. Spring and autumn are the best months.
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Access
Lahontan State Recreation Area - the park at the dam, with the easiest access to the top of the release reach.
Lahontan Dam - the structure that controls the river and the reference point for the release.
Fallon - the nearest town, with lodging, groceries, tackle and road access to the lower river.
Lahontan Reservoir - the impoundment upstream, a fishery in its own right and the source of the walleye and white bass.
Carson Lake - the wetland south of Fallon at the terminus of the irrigation system.
Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge - the protected wetland complex northeast, where the Carson water ends up.
Silver Springs - the small community west on the highway, closest to the upper reach.
Seasons
Spring: strong, with the irrigation release building, bass moving shallow and white bass and walleye concentrated below the dam.
Summer: hot but fishable, with a heavy release keeping current in the river and catfish active through the night.
Fall: the release shuts down and the river drops into pools, concentrating fish and producing the best sight-fishing of the year.
Winter: cold, low and quiet, with catfish and carp the dependable targets for anglers working the deepest holes.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Carson River?
As of Nov 2, 6:25 am, the USGS gauge CARSON RV BLW LAHONTAN RESERVOIR NR FALLON, NV reads 206 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Carson River?
Anglers target Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Common Carp, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass on the Carson River in Nevada.
Where can you access the Carson River?
Lahontan State Recreation Area - the park at the dam, with the easiest access to the top of the release reach. Lahontan Dam - the structure that controls the river and the reference point for the release. Fallon - the nearest town, with lodging, groceries, tackle and road access to the lower river. Lahontan Reservoir - the impoundment upstream, a fishery in its own right and the source of the walleye and white bass. Carson Lake - the wetland south of Fallon at the terminus of the irrigation system. Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge - the protected wetland complex northeast, where the Carson...
When is the best time to fish the Carson River?
Spring: strong, with the irrigation release building, bass moving shallow and white bass and walleye concentrated below the dam. Summer: hot but fishable, with a heavy release keeping current in the river and catfish active through the night. Fall: the release shuts down and the river drops into pools, concentrating fish and producing the best sight-fishing of the year. Winter: cold, low and quiet, with catfish and carp the dependable targets for anglers working the deepest holes.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Carson River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Nevada agency site: https://www.ndow.org/fishing/regulations/