Pyramid Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (NV)

Hatch outlook

Callibaetis (Speckled Dun)Active window

Typical here: May 1 – Oct 1 · multi-brood; a documented midsummer lull when surface temps push fish deep

nymphthe hours before the midday emergence — nymphs rise off the weed tops in a vertical zigzag that can take hours — sources split between slow 2–4 inch strips with long pauses and a quicker steady retrieve; carry both speeds
dunmidday, roughly 11am into early afternoon
spinnermid-to-late-morning falls

Trout browse the weed-bed edges knocking nymphs loose, then cruise the flats sipping duns at midday — the marquee western lake mayfly.

The midday emergence puts cruisers over weed flats in under 20 ft: a casting bubble with a #14 Callibaetis nymph retrieved dead-slow with pauses is the honest match. Between hatch hours, small spoons and #1 inline spinners along the weed edges and drop-offs pick off the same fish.

The event happens over weed flats and weed-bed edges in 20 ft of water or less

Damselfly migrationActive window

Typical here: May 25 – Aug 31 · Davis peaks around the third week of June; Crowley runs through July

nymphdaytime, over days to weeks — the event is the shoreward swim: nymphs leave the deep weed beds and migrate toward shore to crawl out, swimming with a sinuous sidewinder motion in the top two feet — retrieve TOWARD shore in small slow strips with pauses, nearly unweighted so it stays in the strike zone
adultsummer days over and around the weed beds — still on the menu into early September

The marquee visual event of western stillwaters — fish follow the migration into the shallows and 'shark' in behind a swimming nymph a few inches under the surface.

The best conventional window on western lakes: fish herd olive nymphs along the weedlines in a few feet of water. Work the smallest olive and gold spoons and #1–2 spinners slowly ALONG the weed edge and toward shore — direction matters, the naturals all swim shoreward. Everything happens in the top 2 ft.

peak migration flurries run days at a stretch inside the multi-week window

The event happens over shallow weed flats and weedlines, migrating toward shoreline tules, timber and other crawl-out structure

Chironomids (stillwater midges)Active window

Typical here: Apr 25 – Oct 31 · end of April to the end of October at Crowley — the main food source for the entire season

nymphearly morning, start of the day — fish the bloodworm ON the bottom — 4–6 inches off the mud before the emergence starts
pupathe cool morning hours are prime — as the emergence builds, slide the pupa up to 12–15 inches off bottom under the indicator; a little wind chop does the jigging

Concentrates by DEPTH BAND and mud type, not a fixed spot: roughly 20–25 ft in spring, deeper midsummer, in against the feeder creeks in summer heat, 5–25 ft in fall. Match the band.

This one translates almost perfectly: a slip float with a 1/64–1/100 oz midge-pattern jig set 4–15 inches off bottom over a mud flat, dead-sticked with the chop doing the work. Depth control is everything — no moving lure imitates a hanging pupa; the float rig IS the technique.

The event happens over open mud flats alongside weedlines, channels and basin edges; feeder-creek mouths in summer heat

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Sep 30 · the East Walker and Upper Owens terrestrial program

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours on this water are approximations. Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Pyramid Lake

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Pyramid Lake on the board.

Fishing Pyramid Lake: what the data says

108,982-acre lake near Washoe County. The lake tops out around 358 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.

Drawn out, this is 117,542 acres of water rimmed by 76.5 miles of bank, with 2 islands in the mix. The shoreline is moderately structured (index 1.6) — enough points and pockets to pattern. The shallow band under 15 ft claims about 14% of the surface on the model — that's where the groceries are. Figure 26.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 11.6 mi at the beam. You'll find it in Washoe County. The nearest mapped water is Frenchman Lake, 34 mi to the west.

Cutthroat Trout fishing at Pyramid Lake

When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 3 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Truckee River inflow: an inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Truckee River inflow (8 ft)	Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon
Summer	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (11 ft)	Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner
Fall	5 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Truckee River inflow (8 ft)	Casting spoon, Inline spinner
Winter	10 to 40 ft	dawn	Sharp break (11 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig

Sacramento Perch fishing at Pyramid Lake

In spring, sacramento perch run shallow here, mostly 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 30 ft before dropping to 15 to 40 ft for winter. Summer sacramento perch concentrate at Sharp break, a prime-rated drop-off around 11 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a drop-shot with small plastic or a 1/8 oz jig + grub most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + curly tail, Small tube jig
Summer	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Sharp break (11 ft)	Drop-shot with small plastic, 1/8 oz jig + grub
Fall	8 to 25 ft	midday & dawn	Sharp break (11 ft)	Small jig + minnow plastic, Inline spinner
Winter	15 to 40 ft	dawn	Deep break (36 ft)	Tiny jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic (slow)

Notable structure

The chart marks 21 structure features on Pyramid Lake; the deepest is Deep basin at about 304 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 304 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 191 ft
Old creek channel: creek channel, around 179 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 161 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 90 ft
Secondary point: point, around 90 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 85 ft
Deep break: drop-off, around 36 ft
Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 30 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 29 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 24 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 20 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 20 ft
Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 17 ft

Pyramid Lake fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nevada waters are set by the Nevada Department of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Pyramid Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Nevada fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Pyramid Lake?

Pyramid Lake is about 358 ft (109 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.

What fish are in Pyramid Lake?

Anglers target cutthroat trout, sacramento perch on Pyramid Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Pyramid Lake?

Truckee River inflow is the top-rated area: an inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every species and season.

When is the best time to fish Pyramid Lake?

For cutthroat trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.

What are the fishing regulations for Pyramid Lake?

Fishing on Pyramid Lake is regulated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Check the official Nevada regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Frenchman Lake 34 mi, CA · Sparks Marina 35 mi · Truckee River (Nevada) 38 mi · Virginia Lake 39 mi · Lahontan Reservoir 49 mi · Lake Davis 51 mi, CA · Washoe Lake 53 mi · Squaw Valley Reservoir 55 mi · Antelope Lake 56 mi, CA · Hobart Reservoir 60 mi · White Rock Lake 61 mi, CA · Marlette Lake 62 mi

See how Pyramid Lake stacks up: best cutthroat trout lakes in Nevada

More water nearby: Washoe County fishing maps (10 charts). Browse all Nevada fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.