The ice edges have softened up and as the day warms up there are a few inches of slush

Wild Horse Reservoir - Owyhee, NV (Elko County)


by Nevada Department of Wildlife
3-18-2022
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The ice edges have softened up and as the day warms up there are a few inches of slush. The north end of the lake has gray porous ice, the mouth of both Hendricks and Penrod Arms have weak spots from pressure ridges and anglers need to proceed with extreme caution.  No ATV’s or UTV’s should be on the ice and this is probably the last weekend that anglers should be venturing upon the ice themselves. With the warmer forecast expect ice conditions to deteriorate quickly over the next week  and open water will start to appear.  If the rain and wind that is forecast for Saturday evening come to fruition then Sunday may find unsafe ice conditions here. Please go prepared to test the ice and if it is questionable then stay off and head home.  Other than the ice conditions, fishing conditions are similar to last few weeks.  Fishing for trout continues to be good using PowerBait or worms fished about four to six feet below the ice though a few are being caught throughout the depths. Trout have been averaging 15 to 20 inches with a few in the 20+ range.  Perch fishing continues to be good for numbers but most are smaller and it takes a lot of catching to get a few keepers. Great fishing for kids who don’t seem to care as much about size as adults.  For perch, fish within a foot of the bottom in 25 to 35 feet of water using small plastic jigs tipped with a piece of worm.  A slight jigging action occasionally helps.  That being said, perch have been caught in all depths of water using just about any bait or presentation.  If you are catching mostly small ones, move as they generally school by size. However, don’t venture too far from the State Park due to deteriorating ice conditions.  The State Park Campground is open on a first come first served, with the loop closest to the boat ramp open for campers.