Lahontan Reservoir Fishing Guides
A high-desert irrigation reservoir on the Carson River east of Reno, and the most productive walleye and white bass water in Nevada.
Guides on the Lahontan Reservoir
Claimed profiles take booking requests. Unclaimed profiles are built from public records so the river is never empty; the guide can claim or remove one any time.
No guides listed yet
Guide or outfit this water? Create your profile. Listing is free, the commission is 10% or 7% with a premium profile, and premium profiles list first on this water.
About the Lahontan Reservoir
Lahontan Reservoir was built in 1915 as part of the Newlands Project, one of the first federal reclamation schemes in the country, and it still does exactly what it was built to do: store Carson River and diverted Truckee River water for the irrigated farmland around Fallon. It sits in open high desert about an hour east of Reno, covers something over ten thousand acres at full pool, and is surrounded by Lahontan State Recreation Area. For a state with very little standing water, it is an outsized fishery.
Walleye are the primary guided species and the reservoir supports the strongest population in Nevada. White bass are the other defining fish here, schooling in enormous numbers and providing fast, simple fishing that works extremely well for beginners and for children. Wipers add size to the same schooling program. Largemouth bass hold in the flooded brush and rock along the shoreline, channel catfish are abundant, and crappie fish well in spring around submerged cover.
The thing that governs everything is the drawdown. This is an irrigation reservoir in a desert basin, and it is emptied hard through the growing season. The pool can fall dramatically between spring and late summer, exposing enormous flats, stranding ramps and completely rearranging where fish hold. In dry years the reservoir can drop to a fraction of capacity. That volatility is why the current gauge reading matters more here than on most waters in this directory, and why local guides work from the elevation number before they work from anything else. Wind is the other constant, funneling down the Carson corridor most afternoons. Anglers should also be aware that the reservoir sits within the historic Lahontan basin and that boat inspection requirements for invasive mussels apply, so allowing time at the launch is part of planning any trip here.
This water needs a real photo
The photo at the top of this page is not Lahontan Reservoir.
It is a regional stand-in, honestly captioned but generic — we will not put a name to a river we cannot prove. Send us a photograph you took here and it replaces the stand-in, with your credit on it.
Add a photo of this water
Landscape, not fish — the water itself. Reviewed by hand before it appears. The first one published here earns the Pioneer badge.
Pool right now
- 24 hours-0.22 ft ↓ falling
- Storage89,820 acre-ft
Reading taken 2h ago at USGS 10312100, LAHONTAN RES NR FALLON, NV. Elevation is the surface of the lake above the survey datum, not depth. Source.
Fished this water? Add a photo
Reviewed by hand before it appears. Pick the water, not the spot — we never publish exact locations.
Access
Silver Springs Beach - the west end access with a ramp, the closest launch to Reno.
Beach Road and Churchill Beach - the main state recreation area accesses on the north shore.
The dam at the east end - the deepest water and the most reliable holding area during drawdown.
The Carson River inlet at the west end - current and turbid water, productive in spring.
Submerged brush and rock along the north shore - largemouth bass and crappie cover.
Fallon, about twenty minutes east - the nearest town for lodging, tackle and licenses.
Lahontan State Recreation Area - the managing agency for all ramps, camping and current pool information.
Seasons
Spring: the strongest window of the year, with walleye and crappie shallow on a full or filling pool and white bass schooling.
Summer: irrigation drawdown begins, fish pull toward the dam and deeper water, and afternoon wind is a daily factor.
Fall: a low pool concentrates fish tightly, which makes for excellent walleye fishing if the ramps are still usable.
Winter: the reservoir refills, fishing slows, and access is limited though shore fishing for catfish continues.
From the water
No logged trips yet. Be the first to put this water on your map.
Log this water
Fished it or cleaned it? Log in or create a free account to log a trip with photos and earn the waterway badge.
Questions
What species can you catch on the Lahontan Reservoir?
Anglers target Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass, Wiper on the Lahontan Reservoir in Nevada.
Where can you access the Lahontan Reservoir?
Silver Springs Beach - the west end access with a ramp, the closest launch to Reno. Beach Road and Churchill Beach - the main state recreation area accesses on the north shore. The dam at the east end - the deepest water and the most reliable holding area during drawdown. The Carson River inlet at the west end - current and turbid water, productive in spring. Submerged brush and rock along the north shore - largemouth bass and crappie cover. Fallon, about twenty minutes east - the nearest town for lodging, tackle and licenses. Lahontan State Recreation Area - the managing agency for all ramps,...
When is the best time to fish the Lahontan Reservoir?
Spring: the strongest window of the year, with walleye and crappie shallow on a full or filling pool and white bass schooling. Summer: irrigation drawdown begins, fish pull toward the dam and deeper water, and afternoon wind is a daily factor. Fall: a low pool concentrates fish tightly, which makes for excellent walleye fishing if the ramps are still usable. Winter: the reservoir refills, fishing slows, and access is limited though shore fishing for catfish continues.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Lahontan Reservoir?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Nevada agency site: https://www.ndow.org/rules-regulations/