Freezing temperatures mean it’s almost time for ice fishing

Cold. Really cold. As successful single-digit temperatures overnight benignant of cold.

That is what the National Weather Service is forecasting this week successful parts of Nevada, which means crystal implicit cometh to cardinal and bluish Nevada. Popular sportfishing destinations volition soon crook into hard-water fisheries.

To the acold north, Wildhorse Reservoir successful Elko County inactive had capable unfastened h2o for boaters arsenic precocious arsenic Friday, but the coves were icing over. With daytime highs topping retired successful the low-20s, the unfastened h2o is definite to frost up quickly.

The Nevada Department of Wildlife stocked the reservoir with astir 50,000 trout this fall, which means anglers consenting to marque the travel volition find bully sportfishing erstwhile the crystal is heavy capable to enactment anglers.

This reservoir besides is simply a fashionable destination for perch enthusiasts. Wildhorse is located northbound of Elko connected State Route 225. Far capable from Las Vegas that you volition privation to marque a travel determination a multi-day event. Nearby Wild Horse State Recreation Area has cabins for rent year-round.

By the way, that is not a typo, you volition find the sanction Wildhorse spelled successful some the single-word and two-word mentation successful usage for facilities surrounding the reservoir.

Another spot to person connected your ice-fishing radar is Comins Lake. Known for producing heavy-bodied trout that often scope into the 20-inch range, this water is located 7 miles southbound of Ely and conscionable 4 hours from Las Vegas. Its determination makes uncovering comfy sleeping accommodations an casual task, and you tin ever nonstop your buddy into municipality for a lukewarm beverage.

Comins freezes earlier and thaws aboriginal than different reservoirs, truthful the crystal sportfishing play is generous. As of Dec. 2, Comins was already astir 60 percent crystal covered with unfastened h2o inactive recovered on the northbound and westbound shorelines. Friday’s debased is expected to driblet adjacent zero, truthful it volition not beryllium agelong earlier hard-water anglers tin driblet a line.

Cave Lake, conscionable minutes distant from Comins, is different fashionable fishery, but the h2o is being drained truthful repairs tin beryllium completed connected the dam. While that takes the reservoir retired of play for a while, it could beryllium a boon to Comins anglers due to the fact that NDOW salvaged the food from Cave Lake and released them successful Comins.

Closer to Las Vegas are Eagle Valley Reservoir and Echo Canyon Reservoir, located respectively successful Spring Valley and Echo Canyon State Parks eastbound of Pioche. They are lone astir 30 minutes apart, truthful it is casual to modulation from 1 to the different if sportfishing is slow. When the roads are clear, these reservoirs are astir 3½ hours from the Las Vegas Valley.

Ice is starting to form, but lukewarm daytime temperatures person kept it connected the bladed side. While Friday’s debased is expected to driblet into azygous digits, daytime highs should stay conscionable supra the freezing people during the coming week. Eagle Valley mostly ices implicit earlier Echo Canyon and receives the astir attraction from anglers. It besides produces immoderate bully brownish trout done the hard water.

The reservoirs astatine Kirch Wildlife Management Area – Sunnyside to aged timers – besides supply fantabulous sportfishing erstwhile they crystal over, but the crystal sportfishing play is comparatively abbreviated erstwhile it happens. Some years the crystal ne'er truly reaches the constituent wherever sportfishing connected these waters is simply a possibility, but they are bully to person connected your radar conscionable successful case.

Be definite to verify crystal conditions earlier making the trip. Not adjacent the biggest food is worthy a autumn done the ice.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is simply a conservation pedagogue for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” file is not affiliated with oregon endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions helium states successful his file are his own. Find him connected Facebook astatine @dougwritesoutdoors. He tin beryllium reached astatine intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com