Welcome to 2026 Nevada Fishing!

Welcome to another year of fishing in Nevada! With over 800 fishable waters and 32 different game fish species, there’s always an adventure waiting for you. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, consider taking on the Native Fish Slam. Six native species occur throughout central and northern Nevada, Lahontan, Bonneville, and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Redband Trout, Bull Trout, and Mountain Whitefish. Catching all six species would put you in rare company! Check out the article on Nevada’s Native Fish Slam to learn how some of these hardy species have survived the loss of their ancient lakes and river connections and yet continue to thrive today.

Last year, I talked about how consecutive wet years have benefited our fisheries. Well, I’m happy to report that a third year of above-average precipitation across much of the state has had another incredible impact. As I write this, results from our fall fish population surveys are coming in, and they’re very promising, showing increases in both numbers and size. These wet years have benefited many popular waters, but our stream fisheries are also thriving. There may be no better time to pursue Nevada’s Native Fish Slam.

This year, we also want to highlight the Nevada Youth License Fund—a donation-driven program that helps kids ages 12–17 enjoy the outdoors by providing free youth combination hunting and fishing licenses. If you or someone you know fits that age range and wants to get outside in Nevada, help spread the word and learn more on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website.

I won’t keep you any longer—I’d much rather you grab your gear and experience all that Nevada has to offer.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Alan Jenne
Director, Nevada Department of Wildlife