Outdoors with Don Q: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishing in March

This is my annual reminder that if you are a trout fisherman and are new to our area, you may not be aware that some of our best Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishing is at Pyramid Lake in the month of March.

And, with our current fabulous weather, you would be remiss if you did not take advantage of our record setting high temperatures, it may not last!

Pyramid Lake (which is roughly the same surface size as Lake Tahoe) is about 30 miles north of Reno-Sparks, and it contains Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that can run into “Double Digits” in weight. That's big!
The lake is the terminus of the Truckee River which begins at Lake Tahoe.
Pyramid Lake is approximately 15 miles long, 11 miles wide and measures about 350-400 feet at its deepest point.

You might want to plan a fishing trip in the very near future to get in on awesome fishing action in March.
Here is some “Don Q” information:

How to get to Pyramid Lake from Carson City:
My way to reach the lake is a little longer than the usual routes, but it is a lot less stressful than being on the freeways through Reno and Sparks:

From Carson City, take I-580 to the Mt. Rose - Virginia City exit (exit 56).
Take S.R. 431 east to old U.S. 395 and turn left toward Reno.
Take old U.S. 395 north to Longley Lane.
Turn right onto Longley Lane and drive to McCarran Boulevard.
Turn right onto McCarran Boulevard and travel all the way around to Pyramid Way in Sparks.
Turn right onto Pyramid Way and then take the combination of Pyramid Way and the Pyramid Highway (Nevada S.R. 445) to Pyramid Lake (this part of the trip is about 30-35 miles in length).
Then when it is time to return home, just reverse the process.
By taking this route, you avoid all of the high-speed traffic and sheer madness of the I-580/U.S. 395 freeway in Reno and I-80 freeway in Sparks.

Pyramid Lake permits:
You will need to have either a one-day or an annual Pyramid Lake Tribal permit for fishing, boating and camping, as Pyramid Lake is contained entirely within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation.
A one-day permit is $9 plus a $1 vendor fee for a total of $10.
You can also buy your permit on-line at www.pyramidlake.us.
You do not need a Nevada fishing license or a Nevada Trout Stamp.

Pyramid Lake fishing rules and regulations:
You must fish with only artificial flies or lures.
Barbless hooks only (Fishermen can crimp their barbs back to comply with the regulations).
No bait of any kind! Leave your worms and Power Bait at home.
Fishing is prohibited within 500 feet of all docks.

Lahontan Cutthroat Trout:
The limit is two per day: Two fish 17-20 inches in length or one fish 17-20 inches in length and one fish over 24 inches in length.
The length is measured from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail.
Cutthroat trout that are less than 17 inches in length or between 20-24 inches must be released unharmed. These are known as “Shakers.”
Cutthroat 17-20 inches in length or over 24 inches are known as “Keepers.”
“The Needles” at the far north end of the lake and the east side of the lake are closed to vehicles due to vandalism in those areas in the past.
And, the area within 1,000 feet of the Pyramid is closed to boats.

Some suggested fishing methods:
01. When trolling from a boat:
Try trolling at a depth of about 15-20 feet in water that is about 50-60 feet deep in the area between Pelican Point and Warrior Point on the northwest side of the lake.
Try red/white striped, orange/bronze striped or Chartreuse/black dot spoons; or pale colored Apex lures; or black/silver or black/gold Rapala lures or red/white Flatfish lures.
My favorite is the red-white striped spoon.
02. When spincasting lures while standing in the water in chest waders:
Try sandy bottoms where you can toss out lures, as far as you can cast, let the lures sink to the bottom and then slowly retrieve them with a jerking motion along the sandy bottom.
Using this method, most of my strikes have occurred either just after the lure hits the water or right in front of where I am standing in the water.
Use the same lures spincasting as when trolling from a boat.
03. When jigging from a boat:
Locate a school of trout with your fish finder.
Use large, black or purple-colored, feathered Maribou jigs.
Drop the jig to the bottom in about 15-20 feet of water, and then slowly retrieve it upwards, with a short up-and-down jerking motion.

Pyramid Lake sport fishing guides:
George Molino of Cutthroat Charters at (775) 476-0555.
Joe Mendes of Eagle Eye Charters at (866) 95 TROUT.
Fishing information:
You can call the two fishing charters listed above or call Crosby’s Lodge at Sutcliffe on the west side of the lake at (775) 476-0400.

Special note for boaters:
If your boat is large enough, and only if it is large enough, you can travel across the lake to east-side locations such as “Hell’s Kitchen,” Anderson Bay, the Pyramid, Anahoe Island, etc.
However, be prepared to return to the boat launch IMMEDIATELY if the wind begins to blow.
Pyramid Lake is extremely dangerous and life-threatening for boaters when the wind is blowing.
Watch the “Pinnacles” at the far north end of the lake, and if you see dust beginning to fly, head for the dock ASAP. Do not delay!

Our most recent fishing trip:
Elaine and I fished in our chest waders at Pyramid Lake last Thursday.
We began spincasting at Monument Rocks on the far northwest side of the lake, but gave up after about a half hour due to slimy gunk in the water that stuck to our lures and lines on each and every cast.
We drove to Warrior Point, began to fish on the south side of the point but gave up there, also, due to a very slippery clay bottom.
We moved to the north side of the point, which had a firm clean bottom.
Elaine caught and released a 19-inch Cutthroat and I got skunked.
On that side of the point, there were float tubers, canoes and boats, but while we were there, we only saw one small fish caught by the other fishermen.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can’t tell you about the largest Lahontan cutthroat trout ever caught at Pyramid Lake.
If he grins and says, “It weighed an astonishing 41 pounds, it was caught way back in 1925 and it is not only the Pyramid Lake record but also the current world record for a Lahontan cutthroat trout,” he could have been reading the list of Record Fish of Nevada.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now and www.SouthTahoeNow.com. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com