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Sparks Marina Fishing Report

Updated Mon, Nov 9, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A 77-acre, 100-foot-deep former gravel pit in Sparks that NDOW stocks every year with rainbow, brown and tiger trout.

4/5
Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.
Water temp
~41 F est.
Air / High
37 / 69 F
Wind
WNW 1 mph

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

Satellite view
Monday
9
November 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.

4/5Good. Solid day ahead.Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Sparks Marina fishes cold and honest: earn your bites in the deep stuff. Today brings cloud cover, wind WNW around 1 mph, falling pressure near 1016 hPa and a high of 69. Water sits around 41 F for the season (estimated). With the new moon, the solunar majors run 11:30 PM-1:30 AM and 11:06 AM-1:06 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Yellow perchExcellent

Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

Largemouth bassGood

Below about 50Β°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

Smallmouth bassGood

Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Tomorrow: Similar at 69 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Tue, Nov 10, 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 rainbow trout 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.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovNov, ~41 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp37 F
High / Low69 / 34 F
WindWNW 1-1 mph
Pressure1016.1 hPa, falling
Sky / Rain100% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:36 / 16:48
MoonNew Moon, 0%
Water temp (seasonal)~41 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 Sparks Marina this week

Today is the pick of the week on Sparks Marina, at 4 out of 5.

Best day this week: today, Nov 9 β€” good at 4/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Nov 9 β€” Good

Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Solunar majors
11:30 PM-1:30 AM and 11:06 AM-1:06 PM
Minor period
6:53 AM-7:53 AM
Sun
06:36 to 16:48
Moon
New Moon, 0% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 10 mph
Rain chance
0%

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

Species guide

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

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. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

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. Below about 50Β°F feeding slows sharply, Iowa DNR notes; use small, slow baits near deep cover and fish the warmest part of the day.

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. Fish hold in slower, deeper water; fish slowly and expect fewer bites until spring warming.

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. Channel cats move to the deepest river holes in late fall and feed less; slow presentations with cut bait or nightcrawlers near bottom.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

When to come: the Sparks Marina 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
Largemouth bass
Smallmouth bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 41 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovNov, ~41 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 Sparks Marina today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Sun, Nov 8

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 67 F, wind to 6 mph.

Sat, Nov 7

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 68 F, wind to 8 mph.

Fri, Nov 6

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 60 F, wind to 6 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 for anglers 12 and older. NDOW: open all year from 1 hour before sunrise to 2 hours after sunset; limit 3 game fish. No fishing in the swimming and diving areas.

Access

Small concrete boat ramp at the south beach on the west side; parking on the west side and at the southwest corner. Only craft without motors or with electric motors are allowed; stand-up paddleboards are fine (NDOW).

About this water

A 77-acre, 100-foot-deep former gravel pit in Sparks Marina Park, Washoe County, Nevada.

Fishing Sparks Marina: the full guide

From gravel pit to park

NDOW says the Sparks Marina site was a Helms Construction gravel pit from 1968 to 1995. Petroleum products and solvents were found seeping into the pit in 1987, the site was cleaned up, and the property passed to the City of Sparks in 1996; spill-mitigation money built the park. The lake covers about 77 acres and is 100 feet deep, and water is pumped to the Truckee River each day to manage the level.

Stocked trout

NDOW runs the lake as a put-and-take trout fishery. In 2025 it stocked 12,050 rainbow, 8,047 brown and 3,510 tiger trout, mostly 8 to 12 inches, and expects similar numbers in 2026. Holdovers give a chance at trout over 18 inches, especially in winter and spring; the lake record rainbow weighed 8 lb 13 oz.

Bass, catfish and carp

Smallmouth bass and sunfish reproduce naturally and handle the summer heat; NDOW last stocked smallmouth in 2023. Channel catfish and carp also reproduce, with 2,000 catfish stocked in 2025; lake records include a 25 lb 7 oz channel catfish and a 19 lb 7 oz carp. NDOW's species list also includes spotted and largemouth bass, green sunfish, bullhead and Sacramento perch.

Common questions

When is trout fishing best at Sparks Marina?

NDOW says spring and the period right after stocking events, on small lures, PowerBait, nightcrawlers or midge flies. In summer, trout move deep and are easier to reach from a boat or float tube.

Can I launch a boat?

Yes, from the small ramp at the south beach, but only non-motorized or electric-motor craft.

How many fish can I keep?

Three game fish a day, NDOW says.

Is fishing good at Sparks Marina right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up.

Nearby waters

Truckee River18 miStampede Reservoir21 miPyramid Lake33 miLahontan Reservoir35 miCarson River47 miCaples Lake60 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 39.5340, -119.7280 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.