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Best channel catfish lakes in Nevada

12 Nevada waters hold channel catfish, 2 mapped with real state-agency depth surveys. Ranked below by size and depth-data quality — open any water to see exactly where to fish it: depth contours, scored spots with plain-English reasons, seasonal windows and bait picks. Scent-driven bottom feeder. Holes, channels and inflows — best after dark.

1. Lake Mead — 526 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Bluegill
2. Lake Mohave — 147 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish
3. Lahontan Reservoir — 88 ft max · survey depth data · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
4. Rye Patch Reservoir — 20 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Crappie
5. Wild Horse Reservoir — 70 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
6. Washoe Lake — 12 ft max · White Bass, Channel Catfish
7. Chimney Reservoir — 23 ft max · Walleye, Crappie, Channel Catfish
8. South Fork Reservoir — 67 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
9. Weber Reservoir — 29 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish
10. Willow Creek Reservoir — 17 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Cutthroat Trout
11. Sparks Marina — 100 ft max · Smallmouth Bass, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout
12. Virginia Lake — 12 ft max · Largemouth Bass, Crappie, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout

When to fish channel catfish in Nevada

• Spring 3–12 ft — Warm inflows and shallow mud flats after rain.
• Summer 8–25 ft — Deep holes by day; cats roam shallow flats to feed at night.
• Fall 10–30 ft — Fish concentrate in river/creek channels and deeper holes.
• Winter 20–40 ft — Stacked in the deepest holes; slow natural baits.

Also in Nevada: best largemouth bass lakes · best smallmouth bass lakes · best crappie lakes · best rainbow trout lakes · best brown trout lakes · best brook trout lakes · best cutthroat trout lakes

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