Fishing Report: A Labor Day to Remember

Hello fellow fishermen. This was a Labor Day weekend to remember. Mother Nature was a little cruel and kind at the same time.

I was fishing the upper East Carson River on Sunday, until we were all flooded. We traveled to Carson River Resort for a live band and barbecue and the skies opened up, letting the sun shine on us long enough to enjoy the festivities.

I wanted to get to Lake Henan, but I didn’t bring an umbrella. Lake Hennan at the top of Monitor Pass is now open until November 30.

Lake Henan is catch and release only. You can only use artificial baits or flies with barbless hooks. Gasoline engines are not permitted on the lake, but you may use a portage boat, canoe or float tube with an electric motor. Oar, you can do it the old-fashioned way, either by paddling or kicking your way around. Beach fishing is permitted.

Although I recommend not fishing on either side of the dam unless you want to clean the weeds off every other cast. The best fishing area will be on the east side. Small golden Kastmaster or Thomas Buoyant spinner for spinning wheels. The woolly bugger, or jammer for fast fly anglers, or the prince nymph or zigzag for slow fly anglers.

The lake holds Lahontan Cutthroat Trout from 10 inches to 10 pounds, and all fish must be released unharmed. The report I got this week is that many anglers fishing before the rains caught and released 20 to 30 fish per day. You could even say he was off the hook. Here’s a quick look at your local report.

Silver Lake Highway 88: Lake levels have dropped slightly. West Lake Campground will close at noon on Sunday the 10th. The picnic area, Sandy Cove and boat ramp will remain open all season weather permitting. Fishing was slow, but some anglers were able to catch a couple near the spillway using salmon eggs or power bait.

Couples Lake: The lake level has dropped a few feet. The holiday day use and boat launch will remain open as long as weather permits. Fishing was too slow for boaters. Shore anglers near Woods Creek and the drainage area have done well with swollen nightcrawlers or power baits. CDFW is scheduled to plant catchable rainbow trout this week.

Blue Lakes: Fishing was fair or good for rainbows to be caught. I haven’t seen any brown lately. One day, the meal is eaten in the morning, and the next day, it is eaten in the evening. Powerbait or salmon eggs have been more productive. The road will remain open until the first snow falls.

Sunset Lakes: The trail is open to the upper and lower lakes. One angler caught a few nice rookies. He was using a small kastmaster off the rocky ledge in the lower lake. I would recommend parking at the top of the hill and walking to the lake. There are two paths you can take. The direct route down to the lake, or to the left up the hill is an old dirt road for quicker access to the rocky area.

Highland Lakes: The trail is open only a mile or so from the first campground area.

Carson County West Fork Alpine River: The river is at a low point now, as of this week it was running at 70 degrees. CDFW is scheduled to stock the river this week with catchable rainbow trout. Fishing has been fair in the canyon area for anglers using salmon eggs or drifting rat tails.

East Fork Carson River: The river was running at 270 degrees this week. The water has cleared after rain over the weekend. Micah Case of Carson City caught a 4.98-pound rainbow using a spinner last week. Other anglers have done well with Powerbait or salmon eggs. Alpine County Fish and Game stocked the river last week with 1,600 pounds of catchable and trophy trout. If you make it on your next trip, stop by Carson River Resort for a photo op.

Indian Creek Reservoir: I recommend staying away from the shoreline area due to the blue green algae. I’m sorry to say that fishing is not recommended at this time. No swimming and pets are not allowed to drink or swim in the lake.

Topaz Lake: The lake level has been fluctuating, dropping by 2 feet in the past week. I spoke with a park ranger who told me he was trying to adjust the boat ramps to keep up with the fluctuations. For larger boats, I recommend using outboard ramps. I fished last weekend for a few hours. I trolled most of the lake getting only a few strikes and one nice fish that moved away from the boat by spitting out the hook. The camp area used on the eastern side of the ramp is still mainly underwater. I met a couple of anglers who caught a beautiful 3-pound rainbow off the north shore. I’ve also talked to a few anglers who have been fair with smallmouths.

Good luck on your next fishing adventure. If you’ve got a photo of your catch, send it to editor@tahoedailytribune.com. I will be out for the next two weeks. I’ll hunt a new area of ​​the Sierra every other day, and I’ll get a full report right away when I get back. We hope to see you on the water soon. Good fishing and tight lines.