Virginia 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 Virginia 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 Virginia Lake on the board.

Fishing Virginia Lake: what the data says

26-acre lake near Washoe County. The lake tops out around 12 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. The rest of this page walks each species through its year, using the map's own scoring.

Virginia Lake maps at 25 acres behind 1 miles of shoreline. At index 1.4 the outline is almost a bowl — read the depth changes, not the shoreline. Nothing on this chart breaks 15 ft, which makes the whole surface littoral: weeds, bait and ambush cover everywhere. End to end it runs roughly 0.4 mi, about 0.2 mi across. It sits in Washoe County. Truckee River (Nevada) sits 2 mi northwest — the closest neighbouring chart.

Rainbow Trout fishing at Virginia Lake

Spring rainbow trout on Virginia Lake hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. Depth-wise the year is flat: 3 to 12 ft in summer, 2 to 12 ft once it turns cold. The chart's best answer is Shoreline break — drop-off, 5 ft, prime for winter. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	3 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	2 to 12 ft	dawn	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Brown Trout fishing at Virginia Lake

In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 1 to 12 ft. Summer keeps them at 4 to 12 ft, and they winter in 2 to 12 ft. Summer brown trout concentrate at Shoreline break, a prime-rated drop-off around 5 ft. Fish it in after dark and early morning and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) most summer days.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	1 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines
Summer	4 to 12 ft	night & dawn	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night)
Fall	2 to 12 ft	dusk & dawn	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon
Winter	2 to 12 ft	dawn	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow)

Channel Catfish fishing at Virginia Lake

Come spring, look for channel catfish tight to the bank in 3 to 12 ft. Through summer count on 4 to 12 ft; the winter hold is 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 after dark and the evening.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at
Spring	3 to 12 ft	dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)
Summer	4 to 12 ft	night & dusk	Deep basin (10 ft)
Fall	4 to 12 ft	dusk	Deep basin (10 ft)
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)

Crappie fishing at Virginia Lake

When the water first warms, crappie slide up into 2 to 8 ft. Summer is a 4 to 12 ft game here, winter a 4 to 12 ft one. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 10 ft of water and rates prime come winter. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a jig trolled/spider-rigged or a small crankbait (trolled) rigged through the warm months.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 8 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	1/16 oz jig + tube, Curly-tail grub
Summer	4 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Jig trolled/spider-rigged, Small crankbait (trolled)
Fall	4 to 12 ft	dawn	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Jig + minnow combo, Small swimbait (1.5-2")
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Deep basin (10 ft)	Tungsten jig + soft plastic, Tiny jigging spoon

Largemouth Bass fishing at Virginia Lake

Come spring, look for largemouth bass tight to the bank in 2 to 10 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 Shallow bay flat: a weed flat around 3 ft that scores prime in spring. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A texas-rigged 10" worm or a deep-diving crankbait is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 10 ft	dawn & dusk	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Spinnerbait, Chatterbait
Summer	4 to 12 ft	dawn & dusk	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Texas-rigged 10" worm, Deep-diving crankbait
Fall	3 to 12 ft	midday & dawn	Shallow bay flat (3 ft)	Squarebill crankbait (shad), Spinnerbait
Winter	4 to 12 ft	midday	Shoreline break (5 ft)	Blade bait, Jigging spoon

Notable structure

Count 5 structure marks on this chart. The deepest, Deep basin, sits near 10 ft.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 10 ft
Shoreline break: drop-off, around 5 ft
Dock / pier line: dock line, around 4 ft
Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft

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

Check the official Nevada fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Virginia Lake?

Virginia Lake is about 12 ft (4 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 Virginia Lake?

Anglers target rainbow trout, brown trout, channel catfish, crappie, largemouth bass 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. The map above holds the full rated-spot list for every 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Virginia Lake?

Fishing on Virginia 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

Truckee River (Nevada) 2 mi · Sparks Marina 5 mi · Washoe Lake 16 mi · Hobart Reservoir 21 mi · Marlette Lake 23 mi · Spooner Lake 28 mi · Lake Tahoe 31 mi, CA/NV · White Rock Lake 31 mi, CA · Frenchman Lake 36 mi, CA · Cascade Lakes, Upper 36 mi, CA · Fordyce Lake 37 mi, CA · Lahontan Reservoir 37 mi

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

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.