Hello fellow anglers. I don't know about you, but I have been getting cabin fever with our strange winter weather patterns. It is either too cold to get out, or just cruddy enough that you don't want to go out. But I tell you, this last week has been a little teaser of what's to come. I got out and ventured around to various fishing spots and found out things that made me happy. And those that did not. The only disappointment was the lack of snow we do not have in the high country. I started up to Caples Lake to find only a few inches out in Hope Valley. Red Lake had a fresh coat of snow covering the Lake, but not much to speak of. When I arrived at Caples Lake. There was 12 to 18 inches in partial areas along the highway. With all the talk we hear on the news about big snows, I figured they would be buried in snow. Don't get me wrong, I love that spring is just around the corner. But we seriously need some more storms to keep our reservoirs up, and our rivers flowing throughout the year. After leaving Caples Lake, I ventured over to the east fork of the Carson River in Alpine County. The river was flowing very nice and clear. But beware fellow anglers, we now have a lot of new structures in the river. Due to the wildfire and ground saturation. There are a few large trees that have fallen in the river. One I saw stretched all the way across the river. But then again, a real angler looks at that as not a deterrent, but another opportune place to hold fish. On my last adventure, I took a trip down to Topaz lake and I was not alone. There were quite a few others that had the same idea. Both from shore as well as trollers. The weather was 60 degrees and calm as could be. What more could you ask for? I spoke to a few anglers at the launch area and they told me, they did not care if they caught a thing. They just wanted to get out and enjoy this rare occasion.  Now also a reminder to my fellow anglers. If you are a boater and are 65 or older, and resident of Douglas County NV. You can get an annual pass from the Parks Dept for only $25. They are located on Waterloo Lane in Gardnerville NV.  This pass is available to all anglers, but the price will vary depending on residency.  Now for your local report.

CAPLES LAKE: The ice varies from 24 to 36 inches deep with a few inches of snow on top. Fishing has been fair with most anglers using a night crawler or a small jig. Most have been fishing by the spillway. For more information go to capleslakeresort.com.

RED LAKE: The lake is 24 to 40 inches of ice and has a light snow covering the lake. I did not see any footprints on the lake this week. The area behind the dam is clear for parking. Note: there is no parking behind the snow cannon

WOODS LAKE- WOODS CREEK: Both areas are closed.

BLUE LAKES: The road is closed to the first gate.

INDIAN CREEK RESERVOIR:  I did not venture in this week. and have not received any reports. Be wary of both roads into the lake. and cell service is spotty in the area.

HINKSON SLOUGH MASON VALLEY: The area opened up on February 8th. I received an email from the NDOW as quoted. Hinkson Slough is back! – After two years of repairs and rehabilitation, Hinkson Slough is healthy and fishing very well.  The rainbow trout that were stocked over the fall and winter are incredibly healthy and range in size from twelve to nineteen inches. Spin fisherman using small spinners did very well in the late morning through the afternoon from both shore and boats. Fly fishermen using small attractor nymphs and small streamers also did well from the shore and in boats. If you plan on fishing Hinkson this season, please help us monitor the growth and health of the trout in the slough. Majority of the rainbow trout in Hinkson have green or red tags placed near their dorsal fins. If you catch a tagged trout, please report the tag number and size of your catch with NDOW to help continue improving our fishery.

CARSON RIVER EAST FORK ALPINE COUNTY:  fishing is open to catch and release with artificial lures or flies only with barbless hooks. River was flowing perfectly and clarity was good. I fished with a small spinner in a couple areas with no hits. I did not see any other anglers on this trip.

TOPAZ LAKE: The lake level has gone up a couple feet. The water temp was 47 degrees and the weather on Wednesday was perfect with no "W". The fishing was a little slow to start. Renee and I trolled most of the lake with all of our hits coming in on the east side.  We trolled various colors and sizes of Raplalas deep and shallow. We managed a nice 3lb cutthroat and a 1.5 lb rainbow to the boat. We also have a few hit and misses and long distant releases. As we were on the lake, I saw the Parks dept putting all the ramps in at the launch area...

Good luck on your next adventure. I hope to see you on the waters soon. Remember to dress for the cold and layer down when needed. If you get a picture of your catch. Send it to sports@recordcourier.com. Good fishin' and tight lines.