Marys River Fishing Guides
Marys River is one of the most important Lahontan cutthroat trout streams left in the Humboldt basin, a remote high desert river draining the Jarbidge Mountains of northeastern Nevada.
Guides on the Marys River
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About the Marys River
Marys River drains the south side of the Jarbidge Mountains and the eastern Independence Range, running south through a long sagebrush valley to meet the Humboldt River near Deeth. It is remote even by Nevada standards – the kind of water where the drive in matters as much as the fishing – and its significance is conservation rather than celebrity. The Marys River system holds one of the strongest remaining populations of Lahontan cutthroat trout in the Humboldt basin, a subspecies listed as threatened and reduced across most of its historic range by grazing, water diversion and the introduction of non-native trout.
The fishing reflects that. This is small-stream work: a narrow, often brushy channel winding through meadow and willow, with beaver ponds, undercut banks and short gravel riffles, holding cutthroat that are generally modest in size and genuinely wild. The upper tributaries in the Jarbidge country are the heart of the cutthroat water; lower down, closer to the Humboldt, the river warms and non-native species become more common. Mountain whitefish and tui chub share the water. Much of the land is a checkerboard of Bureau of Land Management ground and large private ranches, so working out access before setting off is essential.
The gauge above Hot Springs Creek reads a river driven entirely by snowpack, and the seasonal swing is severe. Spring runoff off the Jarbidge high country can be substantial and the river runs cold and full; by late summer in a dry year the lower reaches can shrink to a trickle or go intermittent, concentrating fish into the remaining pools and making them vulnerable. That pattern is why the stream matters to biologists and why anglers should tread lightly here. Early summer, after runoff drops and before the heat, is the window.
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Access
Deeth - the small community near the Humboldt confluence and the usual approach to the lower river.
Elko - the nearest city, the practical base for lodging, supplies and current access information.
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest - public land holding the Jarbidge Mountain headwaters and upper tributaries.
Jarbidge Wilderness - the high country at the top of the watershed, reached by long gravel roads and trail.
Bureau of Land Management valley lands - the checkerboard public ground along the middle river.
Charleston - a remote settlement in the upper Bruneau and Jarbidge country north of the valley.
Hot Springs Creek - the tributary at the gauge reference point, joining the river below the main cutthroat water.
Seasons
Spring: heavy snowmelt off the Jarbidge country, with the river high, cold and generally too full to fish well.
Summer: early summer is the window, after runoff drops and before the heat, with the lower river shrinking hard by August.
Fall: cooling water and recovering flows bring the cutthroat back on, and the valley sees almost no other anglers.
Winter: cold, snowbound and effectively inaccessible, with the gravel roads into the valley the limiting factor.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Marys River?
As of Nov 2, 6:15 am, the USGS gauge MARYS RV ABV HOT SPGS CK NR DEETH, NV reads 4 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Marys River?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout, Tui Chub on the Marys River in Nevada.
Where can you access the Marys River?
Deeth - the small community near the Humboldt confluence and the usual approach to the lower river. Elko - the nearest city, the practical base for lodging, supplies and current access information. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest - public land holding the Jarbidge Mountain headwaters and upper tributaries. Jarbidge Wilderness - the high country at the top of the watershed, reached by long gravel roads and trail. Bureau of Land Management valley lands - the checkerboard public ground along the middle river. Charleston - a remote settlement in the upper Bruneau and Jarbidge country north of the...
When is the best time to fish the Marys River?
Spring: heavy snowmelt off the Jarbidge country, with the river high, cold and generally too full to fish well. Summer: early summer is the window, after runoff drops and before the heat, with the lower river shrinking hard by August. Fall: cooling water and recovering flows bring the cutthroat back on, and the valley sees almost no other anglers. Winter: cold, snowbound and effectively inaccessible, with the gravel roads into the valley the limiting factor.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Marys River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Nevada agency site: https://www.ndow.org/fishing/regulations/