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Cave Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A mountain reservoir above Ely: Cave Lake holds trout at 7,300 feet in eastern Nevada.

2/5

Slow. The wind owns today.24 mph gusts make boat control the real battle.

Water temp

~54 F est.

Air / High

69 / 70 F

Wind

SW 24 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view

Friday

4

September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. The wind owns today.24 mph gusts make boat control the real battle.

Cave Lake is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 24 mph, steady pressure near 1005 hPa and a high of 70. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 71 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp69 F

High / Low70 / 49 F

WindSW 24-35 mph

Pressure1004.5 hPa, steady

Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%

Sunrise / Sunset06:10 / 19:04

MoonLast Quarter, 50%

Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 70/49 F, wind 24 mph, rain 0%

Slow. Wind at 24 mph makes boat control the day's real problem; find protected banks.

Species guide

The species that matter on Cave Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Cave Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

Rainbow trout

Brown trout

SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Cave Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data

Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 68 F, wind to 20 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 22 mph.

Before you go

License

Nevada requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Nevada license plus trout stamp. State park entry fee applies. Limits per current NDOW regulations.

Access

Cave Lake State Park about 15 miles from Ely: camping, day-use, small-craft ramp.

About this water

A 32-acre mountain reservoir at 7,300 feet in the Schell Creek Range, White Pine County, Nevada.

Fishing Cave Lake: the full guide

A high-desert mountain lake

Cave Lake sits at about 7,300 feet in the Schell Creek Range above Ely, a 32-acre reservoir in Cave Lake State Park surrounded by pinyon, juniper and aspen. It is stocked with rainbow trout and holds brown trout, providing the most accessible quality trout fishing in eastern Nevada, a region where cold water is scarce.

Trout in a small lake

The lake is small enough to fish thoroughly from the bank or a float tube, with trout taken on PowerBait and worms from shore, spinners and small spoons cast along the drop-offs, and flies from a tube. Browns run larger and hold deeper, taken most reliably early and late in the day or on streamers.

Elevation and season

At 7,300 feet the lake ices over in winter, providing an ice fishery, and the road can be snowbound. Open water from spring through fall is the main season, with summer far cooler than the desert below. Steens Creek below the dam holds small stream trout and adds to the day.

White Pine County logistics

Cave Lake State Park provides camping, day-use areas, a boat ramp for small craft and restrooms, reached by a paved road about 15 miles from Ely. Only electric or small motors are practical on a lake this size. Ely provides all services, and the Great Basin National Park is an hour east.

Common questions

Can I ice fish?

Yes: the lake freezes in winter, though the access road can be snowbound. Check conditions before driving up.

Do I need a boat?

No: the lake is small enough to fish thoroughly from the bank or a float tube.

Are there brown trout?

Yes, alongside stocked rainbows: browns run larger and are best early, late or on streamers.

Is fishing good at Cave Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. The wind owns today. 24 mph gusts make boat control the real battle.

Nearby waters

Comins Lake9 mi South Fork Reservoir113 mi Minersville Reservoir119 mi Panguitch Lake149 mi Otter Creek Reservoir160 mi Fish Lake165 mi

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