Fishing Regulations

 

This information is a summary of fishing regulations for all land management agencies associated with the Snake Range. The official fishing regulations for the State of Nevada are published by the Nevada Department of Wildlife in Nevada Fishing Seasons and Regulations. Read it before you go fishing! A copy of this booklet is available at all registered license agents or you can receive a copy by calling (775)-289-1655. Great Basin National Park has additional fishing regulations, which are officially published in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations. A copy of the Code of Federal Regulations may be found at most ranger stations and visitor centers.

Please report violators to the nearest ranger or call [phone]. Wildlife violations outside Great Basin National Park can be reported to Operation Game Thief at 1-800-992-3030.

License

Persons possessing a valid Nevada state fishing license may fish all open Snake Range waters. Licenses must be displayed on demand by authorized personnel. Trout stamps are required for annual fishing licenses when fishing on waters containing trout. A trout stamp is not required for temporary fishing licenses.

The park does not sell fishing licenses. Fishing licenses can be purchased online and printed out at the Border Inn, 12 miles from the park, at the Hotel Nevada or Sportsworld in Ely, NV (70 miles), or online at Nevada Department of Wildlife website.

Nevada License Requirements

Residents and non-residents ages 12 and older must have a valid Nevada fishing license. Residents ages 65 and older may be eligible for a discounted fishing license. Resident children 12- to 15-years-old may obtain a junior fishing license. Non-resident persons under the age of 12 are limited to half of the established limit for that water.

Season

Fishing is permitted year-round in open waters. The Snake Range is most accessible after most of the snow has melted, usually from June through September.

Time

Fishing is allowed any time, day or night.

Daily Possession Limits

License holders over the age of 12 are allowed 10 trout daily from streams. License holders over the age of 12 are allowed five trout daily from lakes.

Size Limits

There is no size limit.

Lures, Bait, and Equipment

The use of worms as bait is permitted, however it is unlawful to dig or collect worms in the park. The possession or use of other live bait, including fish, amphibians, non-preserve fish eggs, or roe is prohibited. The possession or use of fish as bait, whether dead or alive, or any parts thereof, except for preserved salmon eggs, is prohibited. Chumming is also prohibited. Fishing by other means other than hook and line attached to rod or reel is prohibited.

Fish entrails are not to be returned to the water or discarded on the banks. Please dispose of fish waste in trash receptacles.

The use of flotation devices on streams is prohibited. Float tubes may be used on lakes in the park, but motors are prohibited.

Transporting Fish and/or Bait

It is unlawful to transport any fish from one body of water to another.
Aquatic bait, such as crustaceans and mollusks, may be used only in the water from which it is taken.

Ice Fishing

Holes cut through the ice must not exceed 10 inches in diameter.

Safety

Standing and wading in streams can drain body heat and lead to hypothermia. Rising water levels resulting from sudden mountain storms may occur, so monitor water level. Water currents are swifter than they appear and footing is treacherous on wet and moss covered rocks. Please use caution.

Be a clean fisherman!

If there’s a tangle of line, or an empty can at your feet, clean up after your fellow angler. Please pack out all that you pack in. Leave your favorite fishing hole cleaner than when you arrived.