Topaz Lake Depth Map & Fishing Spots (NV/CA)

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 Topaz 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 Topaz Lake on the board.

Fishing Topaz Lake: what the data says

2,197-acre lake near Douglas County. The lake tops out around 92 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. The season-by-season read for each species follows, from the map's own numbers.

Drawn out, this is 1,691 acres of water rimmed by 8.6 miles of bank. Index 1.5 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 6% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. Figure 2.6 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.6 mi at the beam. The water lies in Douglas County. The nearest mapped water is Heenan Lake, 7 mi to the west.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Topaz Lake

Start shallow in spring: rainbow trout sit in 5 to 20 ft that time of year. Warm water sends them out to 8 to 30 ft; cold water stacks them in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 41 ft range, prime in winter. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. Throw a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon until the fish tell you otherwise.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	10 to 35 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	8 to 40 ft	dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Topaz Lake

Spring brown trout on Topaz Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. Put Break off the point first on the milk run — a drop-off near 41 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. The summer box starts with a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night).

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	25 to 60 ft	night & dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	5 to 30 ft	dusk & dawn	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	5 to 35 ft	dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Crappie fishing at Topaz Lake

In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 25 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. Shallow bay flat is the standout, a feeding flat at roughly 6 ft, rated prime for spring crappie. Time it for early morning and the evening. You won't need more than a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	10 to 25 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	8 to 20 ft	dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Deep basin (78 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Topaz Lake

Spring puts largemouth bass in skinny water — 2 to 10 ft is the zone. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 20 ft, wintering in 15 to 35 ft. Spring largemouth bass concentrate at Shallow bay flat, a prime-rated feeding flat around 6 ft. Warm-month bites cluster around early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	8 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	4 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (6 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	15 to 35 ft	midday	Break off the point (41 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Lake Whitefish fishing at Topaz Lake

Come spring, look for lake whitefish tight to the bank in 15 to 45 ft. Expect a summer slide to 40 to 90 ft, then a winter hold in 25 to 70 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 78 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning. A blade bait vertical or a small jigging spoon is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	15 to 45 ft	midday & dawn	Break off the point (41 ft)	Small jig + waxworm, Blade bait (small)
Summer	40 to 90 ft	dawn	Deep basin (78 ft)	Blade bait vertical, Small jigging spoon
Fall	8 to 30 ft	dusk	Main-lake point (23 ft)	Small spoon (gold), Jig + plastic larva
Winter	25 to 70 ft	midday & dawn	Deep basin (78 ft)	Jigging spoon + bead chain, Tungsten jig + waxie

Notable structure

Topaz Lake carries 6 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 78 ft down.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 78 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 41 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 23 ft
Secondary point: point, around 23 ft
Shallow bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft
Back-bay flat: feeding flat, around 6 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Topaz 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 Topaz Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Nevada fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Topaz Lake?

Topaz Lake is about 92 ft (28 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 Topaz Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, crappie, largemouth bass, lake whitefish on Topaz Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Topaz Lake?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 78 ft of water that rates prime for lake whitefish in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.

When is the best time to fish Topaz Lake?

For rainbow 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 Topaz Lake?

Fishing on Topaz 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

Heenan Lake 7 mi, CA · Kinney Reservoir 17 mi, CA · Lower Kinney Lake 18 mi, CA · Kinney Lake, Upper 18 mi, CA · Wet Meadows Reservoir 19 mi, CA · Tamarack Lake 20 mi, CA · Lost Lakes 22 mi, CA · Lost Lakes 23 mi, CA · Junction Reservoir 24 mi, CA · Scotts Lake 24 mi, CA · Crater Lake 24 mi, CA · Poore Lake 26 mi, CA

See how Topaz Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nevada · best crappie lakes in Nevada · best rainbow trout lakes in Nevada · best brown trout lakes in Nevada

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.