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Fishing Virginia Lake: what the data says
26-acre lake near Washoe County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Virginia Lake
Spring rainbow trout on Virginia Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 3 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline break, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Brown Trout fishing at Virginia Lake
Spring brown trout on Virginia Lake hold shallow, usually 1 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 2 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shoreline break, a drop-off in about 5 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in summer. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 2 to 12 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 2 to 12 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Channel Catfish fishing at Virginia Lake
In spring, channel catfish run shallow here, mostly 3 to 12 ft. Summer fish stay in 4 to 12 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Deep basin, a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. In summer the feeding windows fall in after dark and the evening.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | night & dusk | |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dusk | |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday |
Crappie fishing at Virginia Lake
In spring, crappie run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Deep basin: a deep basin around 10 ft that scores prime in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | midday & dawn | 1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 4 to 12 ft | dawn | Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2") |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon |
Largemouth Bass fishing at Virginia Lake
In spring, largemouth bass run shallow here, mostly 2 to 10 ft. They move out to 4 to 12 ft in summer and finish the year down in 4 to 12 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for largemouth bass in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 10 ft | dawn & dusk | Spinnerbait, Chatterbait |
| Summer | 4 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait |
| Fall | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait |
| Winter | 4 to 12 ft | midday | Blade bait, Jigging spoon |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
- Shoreline break: drop-off, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Common questions
How deep is Virginia Lake?
Virginia Lake is about 12 ft 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 Virginia Lake?
Anglers target largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, rainbow trout, brown trout on Virginia Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Virginia Lake?
Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 10 ft of water that rates prime for channel catfish in winter. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Virginia 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.
Nearby waters
Truckee River (Nevada) · Sparks Marina · Washoe Lake · Hobart Reservoir · Marlette Lake · Spooner Lake
See how Virginia Lake stacks up: best largemouth bass lakes in Nevada · best crappie lakes in Nevada · best channel catfish lakes in Nevada · best rainbow trout lakes in Nevada
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