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South Fork Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A 1,640-acre Elko County reservoir with stocked trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, wipers and channel catfish.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~62 F est.
Air / High
45 / 46 F
Wind
WNW 11 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

South Fork Reservoir rewards those who follow the bait as the water cools. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 11 mph, steady pressure near 1019 hPa and a high of 46. Water sits around 62 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 9:22 AM-11:22 AM and 9:51 PM-11:51 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Largemouth bassGood

In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Smallmouth bassGood

Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

Hybrid striped bassFair

In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Tomorrow: Warmer at 53 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Nevada requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $40.00 for residents. What a Nevada licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing largemouth bass here? Check the size and bag limits with NDOW before you keep anything. The season dates for Nevada, read off the agency, are on the Nevada seasons page.

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.

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp45 F
High / Low46 / 37 F
WindWNW 11-13 mph
Pressure1018.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain94% cloud, 67%
Sunrise / Sunset07:03 / 17:50
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~62 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish South Fork Reservoir this week

The best day on South Fork Reservoir this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 4 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
9:22 AM-11:22 AM and 9:51 PM-11:51 PM
Minor period
3:46 AM-4:46 AM
Sun
07:03 to 17:50
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Rain, 12 mph
Rain chance
67%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Largemouth bass illustration

Largemouth bass

Best: the spring pre-spawn and the fall feed

A warm-water sunfish of lakes, reservoirs, ponds and slow river backwaters that holds tight to cover: weeds, logs, rock ledges and docks. In Texas, TPWD surveys rank it "by far" the freshwater fish anglers most want to catch. In spring, pre-spawn bass push shallow as the water climbs through the mid-50s; in fall they feed actively until the water cools into the low 50s, then drop back toward deeper structure.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: spring and fall, when bigger fish come shallow

A bronze-brown black bass of clear, cool streams and rocky lakes, with dark vertical bars instead of a side stripe. Michigan DNR says its southeastern coast, from Port Huron to Lake Erie, is known nationally for both the size and the number of its smallmouth. Spring pre-spawn and fall: Iowa DNR notes the larger bass come up to shallow structure, where a shallow-running minnow bait or a spinnerbait just under the surface works.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. This band overlaps Vermont's 54-66Β°F stream preference: fish feed across riffles, runs and pocket water, and in lakes WDFW says spring and fall bring them near the surface.

Hybrid striped bass illustration

Hybrid striped bass

Best: the spring shad spawn and fall; summer at dawn and dusk

A hatchery cross of striped bass and white bass, also called wiper or palmetto bass, stocked by state agencies into reservoirs and rivers as a sport fish that also eats gizzard shad. Schools roam open water after shad. In spring, windblown shorelines, riprap and dams during the shad spawn (May in Oklahoma); in fall, the pre-winter feed on the same kind of banks.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. In spring after ice-out, Iowa finds channel cats feeding on winter-killed shad on the shallow, warmer mudflats at the upper ends of reservoirs; cut bait on the bottom works there.

When to come: the South Fork Reservoir 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
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Rainbow trout
Hybrid striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 62 F (estimated, not a reading).

4050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~62 F now

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 South Fork Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 62 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 71 F, wind to 14 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 69 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 fishing license. NDOW's South Fork page says that as of July 1 anglers may keep 1 black bass and 1 wiper, each at least 15 inches. Trout limits and the upstream trophy rules are in NDOW's current fishing regulations.

Access

Two boat ramps and campgrounds in South Fork State Recreation Area near Spring Creek; the whole shoreline is fishable (NDOW).

About this water

A 1,640-acre reservoir completed in 1988 in Elko County, Nevada, 67 feet deep at full capacity.

Fishing South Fork Reservoir: the full guide

The reservoir

NDOW gives South Fork Reservoir 1,640 surface acres and a maximum depth of 67 feet at full capacity. Nevada State Parks says it was completed in 1988 and sits at the base of the Ruby Mountains near Spring Creek, inside South Fork State Recreation Area.

Species and stocking

NDOW lists rainbow, brown and bowcutt (rainbow x cutthroat) trout, smallmouth and largemouth bass, wipers and channel catfish, and reports recent stockings that include trout, channel catfish and bluegill.

Seasons on the water

NDOW calls spring through early summer the most productive time for trout and reports good ice fishing in the colder months. Its August 14, 2026 report noted surface temperatures in the mid-70s, trout biting best early in the morning, bass around rocky areas and algae starting to form in some coves.

Upstream trophy section and facilities

State Parks describes the upstream section as a trophy fishery limited to artificial lures with single barbless hooks. The park has two boat ramps, one for boats up to 15 feet and a main launch, a 25-site campground with showers, and open camping along the southwest shore; NDOW says the entire perimeter is fishable.

Common questions

Can I keep bass or wipers?

From July 1, NDOW allows 1 black bass and 1 wiper, each 15 inches or longer.

When is trout fishing best?

NDOW says spring through early summer, and ice fishing has also been productive in winter.

Are there special rules upstream?

Yes. State Parks says the upstream trophy section allows only artificial lures with single barbless hooks.

Is fishing good at South Fork Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Ruby Lake35 miWildhorse Reservoir70 miComins Lake117 miCave Lake118 miRye Patch Reservoir134 miSouth Fork Boise River186 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 40.6690, -115.7610 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.