I used to fish Pyramid Lake a fair amount when I was bouncing between Reno and Colorado. I haven’t really been back since they reintroduced the native Pilot Peak strain but the photos of 20 lb plus fish are incredible.

One of my most memorable days on the water happened at Pyramid. I fished the day before Easter and camped out that night (2008?). The wind picked up hard and the beaches cleared. My friend Doug Ouellette had shared a ride with another angler and they were headed out. He suggested I stay as the conditions were perfect. One other guy and myself had the entire South Nets to ourselves and we caught fish non-stop all day. We were about 80 yards apart and every time I looked over, he was hooked up. I must have caught a few fish in the 10-lb range. That was the high end of the spectrum at that time.

This trip was nothing like that day but it felt great to be at the lake. I bounced around and fished a few beaches I’d never hit before. I like looking for empty spots here where I can avoid crowds.

The weather was dead calm and it was obvious the fish weren’t in close. Being there in December had low crowds. Just the diehards and a few old friends that I enjoyed seeing while sipping on crown royal around the tailgate. I managed one small fish right at dark but had a great time alternating between stretches of fishing, venison backstrap snacks and a good book. The fish grabbed a black bugger and I had another grab immediately after that one. I saw one other fish caught in 2 days. I’m hoping to make another trip in the next month or two when things pick up. Here are a few photos from the lake.

If you have the chance, make a trip to the lake. It’s only 45 minutes from Reno. You can fly in, rent a car and be fishing within an hour. It’s on the Paiute reservations and licenses are purchased through the tribe. They have more info here – http://www.pyramidlake.us/pyramid-lake-permits.html. If you are camping, don’t forget that is a separate license. It’s really reasonable and easy to camp right on the water.