Outdoors with Don Q: Pyramid Lake cutthroat trout season closes June 30

Pyramid Lake, which is located about 30 miles north of Reno-Sparks, will close on Thursday, June 30 to fishing for Lahontan cutthroat trout.
That large, desert lake (roughly the same surface size as Lake Tahoe) has a three-month trout closure, each year, from July 01 to September 30. On Oct. 1, it will re-open for the 2011-2012 cutthroat fishing season.

Here is some information if you would like to fish in the next two weeks:

To reach Pyramid Lake by two different ways:
01. Take U.S. 395 north to the “Spaghetti Bowl” interchange in Reno.
Take I-80 east to Sparks. Get off I-80 at the Pyramid Way Exit in Sparks.
Take a combination of Pyramid Way and the Pyramid Highway north for about 30 miles until you reach the lake.
02. My favorite method of traveling to and from Pyramid Lake, which avoids all of the “Looney Tune” drivers on the U.S. 395 freeway:
Take U.S. 395 north to Longley Lane on the south end of Reno.
Turn right and take Longley Lane to McCarran Boulevard.
Turn right and take McCarran Boulevard to Pyramid Way.
Turn right and take a combination of Pyramid Way and the Pyramid Highway north for about 30 miles until you reach the lake.

Pyramid Lake general information: 

You will be on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Indian Reservation, which is about thirty five miles northeast of Reno.
That large reservation is in a remote desert area located in the three counties of Washoe, Lyon, and Storey.
The area of the reservation contains 475,000 acres or 742.2 square miles, and out of that acreage, about 112,000 acres consist of Pyramid Lake.

That lake is the terminus of the Truckee River which begins way up at Lake Tahoe. Pyramid Lake is approximately 15 miles long, 11 miles wide and measures about 350-400 feet deep at its deepest point.

Tribal permits: 

You will need a tribal fishing permit (and boat permit if fishing from a boat) which can be obtained at a number of different locations in this general area.
You do not need a Nevada fishing license or a Nevada Trout Stamp.

Current fishing rules and regulations:
You must fish with artificial flies or lures only.
Barbless hooks only (fishermen can crimp their barbs back to comply with the barbless regulations).
Fishing is prohibited within 500 feet of all docks.

All boats using Pyramid Lake must have proof of current registration.
Vehicle access is prohibited on the east side of the lake due to a rash of recent vandalism in that area.

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.”
Commercial Fishing Charter Guides:
Jim Hartfiel of Just Rite Fishing at (775) 575-7850.
George Molino of Cutthroat Charters at (775) 476-0555.
Sam Mendes of Eagle Eye Fishing Charters at (775) 574-0900

Fishing information:
Call any of the above fishing charters or:
Crosby’s Lodge at Sutcliffe at (775) 476-0400 or
Pyramid Lake Marina and RV Park at (775) 476-1156.

Special Note for boaters:
If you have a boat and if your boat is large enough, and only if it is large enough, you can travel across the width of the lake to such locations 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 in that area, head for the dock ASAP.

Finally:
If you are interested in fishing at Pyramid Lake before the 2010-2011 Lahontan cutthroat trout fishing season closes on June 30, you had better hustle, because you are rapidly running out of time.

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.