If you have the right gear for the trip and you would like to use it that is great and bring it along. We do supply at no additional charge everything from waders, rods, flies, ladders etc. Even on trips where anglers have their own equipment there will be plenty of extra gear to use as well.
Pyramid is entirely on the Pyramid Lake Piute Indian Reservation. There is a daily (or yearly) fee to fish the lake. There are numerous places in the Reno area, on the way to the lake and online to obtain the correct permit to fish the lake including our website. Permits should be purchased in advance if possible.
There are lots of different places to fish around Pyramid Lake. Rocky points, steep drop-offs, sandy beaches and wade able shoreline. Ladders are just one of the ways we fish Pyramid Lake depending on what part of the lake we are fishing. You will find that fishing from one of our Platform Ladders makes fishing certain areas much more comfortable and in some cases makes fishing much easier as well. Where else in the world can you say that you caught 20 plus inch trout while standing on a ladder?
Bring layers! The weather at the lake can be all over the map including due to time of year really cold. Bring plenty of layers including a waterproof jacket a beanie and thermal underwear. The best case scenario is that you don’t need them. Gloves can be helpful but are very hard to keep dry. It usually feels colder at the lake than what the weather forecast says due to the cold water. Jeans are not recommended under waders because they have little or no insulation value.
The season at Pyramid Lake is from October 1st – June 30th. Fish can be caught all season long but there are better times to be at the lake. The fall fishing depends a lot on the water temperature. It sometimes takes some time in the fall to get the water temperatures more favorable and Late November to early December is the most consistent. There are fish in close to shore chasing bait from opening day until the water cools way down in early winter. The winter is usually a little slower for numbers of fish and can be more of a grind but there are some really big fish caught in December-February. The spring is the time of year when the fish come in shallow to spawn and March and April are the most popular at the lake and also the most crowded. May and June offer a late season opportunity to catch some of the larger Pilot Peak strain of Cutthroats in the lake as they cruise back into the shallows chasing bait.
There are many options for places to stay around Pyramid Lake. There are a couple of things to take into consideration when making a choice on places to stay. Fishing at Pyramid Lake all day can be very taxing. Having a good comfortable bed and a hot shower with good water pressure can rejuvenate the body for another day on the water. Even if you are not a gambler (most of our clients are not) a casino hotel has much to offer. 24 hour food and numerous restaurants to choose from without getting back your car at night is a big bonus. The coffee shop in the morning for a quick cup of coffee or tea is a huge plus especially on early morning trips. Almost all of our clients stay in one of the Reno area hotels. We have corporate deals with three main casino Hotels in the area and rooms are commonly $49 a night and two room suites for $79 a night. You can also camp at the lake at the RV Park or dry camping can be done directly on one of the many beaches around the lake. There are a couple of other choices around the lake but offer little in the comfort area and very limited food opportunities. Trust us on this one…stay in town.
Pyramid Lake is 22 miles long and 10 miles wide. There is always a place to fish around the lake with no other anglers no matter the time of year. There are however some areas that are popular and can get crowded especially in March and April when lots of out of town anglers plan their trip. Other times of the year are not bad at all for crowds even on the most popular beaches.
We tailor every trip around our client’s schedule. We do not mind starting at the crack of dawn or staying until dark. We want to do what you want to do. We will however make suggestions on time of day to take advantage of the best fishing conditions for your trip. If you have business in town or a flight to catch we will alter any trip to fit your schedule.
If we are not booked we will take you fishing same or next day if possible. We are however the busiest guide service on the lake and are commonly booked a month or more in advance, especially during March and April. The best thing to do is to plan as far in advance as you can once you know when you are coming to town. If your schedule changes we will work with you on almost all cases. We also offer our returning clients same dates on a year to year basis so if you like the time you have you can keep it year after year.
Every day can be different at the lake. We typically pick a starting time and place to meet i.e. hotel valet area or the donut shop, drive out to the lake and spend 8-9 hours on the water for a full day trip. Time of year can make a difference on weather and the fishing so we try to be as flexible as possible on starting and ending times. We may stay in one area all day or move several times to improve the chances of catching fish. Sometime in the middle of the day we will provide a hot lunch right on the beach while the anglers are still fishing. Coffee can also be provided for early morning starts.
Yes from most of the major Reno Hotels. Mainly for smaller groups. Our guides all drive pickup trucks and can handle two to three passengers. Keep in mind we will be out at the lake all day and some anglers prefer to drive and follow us to the lake so they can bring more gear. Either way works for us.
We have a 30 day cancelation policy for trips booked more than 30 days out. If we cancel a trip due to weather etc. there is no charge. This happens occasionally due to really bad weather like 7 feet of snow on the pass. Bad weather can actually help the fishing and most of the good fishermen at the lake fish on stormy days. We do recognize that travel to Reno from other areas may be the problem. We will work with you if this is the case and try to reschedule if travel weather becomes a problem. If you cancel the trip for reasons other than described above then we have a30 day full refund policy and inside of 30 days you will be charged 50% of trip price or receive a credit for a future trip.