Northeast Nevada Home to Popular Ice Fishing

Although it's not likely to overthrow bass fishing any time soon as America's premier angling sub-culture, ice fishing is becoming one of the fastest growing winter recreational activities in the United States. While ice fishing is mostly associated with more consistently colder climates in the upper Midwest, western states can offer impressive varieties of fish to be caught on jig or worm, and Nevada is one such state.

There are three popular ice fishing locales in Nevada, including Wildhorse Reservoir, South Fork Reservoir and Wilson Reservoir. All three are located in the northeastern part of the state, which is often referred to as "cowboy country." Elko is the largest city in the region with a population of just less then 30,000 people. It is located about three hours west of the Utah/Nevada state line on Interstate 80. Flights into Elko can be arranged through Delta's regional carrier, SkyWest, from Salt Lake City to Elko Regional Airport.

Wildhorse and Wilson freeze over early in the season, while South Fork freezes over a little later. Both Wildhorse and South Fork are approachable by paved roads, but Wilson has a gravel road and is impassible at certain times of the year. Call the Bureau of Land Management in Elko at 775-753-0200 for details on whether the road to Wilson Reservoir has been plowed or how deep the snow is.

While most who venture out onto the ice in these parts are there for the rainbow or brown trout, the yellow perch do offer some fast action and help keep children's attention, as well as provide some sweet tasting fillets albeit a little on the small side. For yellow perch, Wildhorse Reservoir, which is located 70 miles north of Elko on State Road 225, is the place to be.
And since there's no limit on yellow perch, the sky's the limit; however, Nevada Department of Wildlife officers do expect those who have been catching perch to take with them what they've caught. While some trout purists and the Nevada Division of Wildlife consider perch as a nuisance, a game warden will still issue a wanton waste ticket to someone who chooses to leave a pile of perch out on the ice.

In addition to the trout and perch, bass, wiper (white X striper bass hybrid cross) and channel catfish are also in Wildhorse, although only the occasional wiper will turn up in a winter creel since they actively pursue the booming schools of perch to keep the population in check.
At only 16 miles from Elko (5 miles from Spring Creek on South Jiggs Highway), South Fork offers more in the way of nearby services in Spring Creek. In the cases of Wilson (90 miles from Elko) and Wildhorse Reservoirs, services are scarce, so fueling up one's vehicle and getting all necessary provisions for not only fishing, but also basic human survival is also highly recommended.

Since there are no yellow perch in South Fork - and NDOW would like to keep it that way - the trout and channel catfish are the main fish of sport. Dropping a line anywhere from a few inches to a few feet of the surface of the ice can yield positive results for trout. Some fishermen stick to the traditional worm and have great luck with it while others bring out the PowerBait, which comes in a trout-specific formula.

Rather than simply driving out to any one of these locations to see if the ice is ready yet, the NDOW office headquarters in Elko keeps track of not only how thick the ice formations are at the area reservoirs, but also notes different reports on what types of fish are prominently biting on that particular day. The Elko office can be contacted at 775-777-2300.

When venturing out on the ice though, use the following guideline as a general principle of weight to thickness ratio: Four inches can usually hold one moderately sized angler and their gear, five inches can hold around 800 pounds, seven inches can hold about 1,500 pounds and eight inches can hold a moderately-sized car. Eleven inches to one foot can hold a light truck.

Northeastern Nevada's ice fishing may not feature some of the heavier game fish like Walleye and Northern Pike, but it sure can be a lot of fun and provide some decent fish to boot.