The 24 Hour Fishing Spree

Looking for an on-road or off-road 24 hour Nevada Style Fishing Adventure? …Then be sure to try this loop of Adventurous activity: Fernley to Ft. Churchill to Carson River, to Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area and Fish Hatchery to Yerington to the top of Desert Creek in Smith Valley while stopping by the Wellington Bar for a refreshing beverage back through Holbrook Junction to Topaz Lake to Carson City through Washoe Valley and then back home.

Depending on what type of fishing you like to do – be sure to at least bring all of the necessary equipment along with you – in case you do decide to fish during any one of these area fishing hotspots. Some advice if visiting the Mason Valley Ponds be sure to bring bug spray with DEET to avoid some of the mosquito population. For more information on what Nevadan’s should know about West Nile – visit health2k.state.nv.us.

I recommend that all people who take this trip start their morning off with breakfast at Mary’s and Moe’s Wigwam Restaurant, Casino and Indian Museum located in Fernley, Nevada. After breakfast begin your drive heading south towards Silver Springs on ALT 95. As you enter Silver Springs you’ll notice a large body of water to the left better known as Lahontan Reservoir. You can stop here, however you’ll need to pay a park fee to enter the reservoir, otherwise continue a few more miles until you come to Ft. Churchill on the right. Now you don’t have to stop here however a little bit a US history isn’t a bad thing plus you can check out the campgrounds for future camping trips.


Once you finish driving around Ft. Churchill, get back on ALT 95 and drive for a few more miles where you’ll come across the Carson River. Access to the river is relatively easy with a pullout to the right side of the road. The river is flowing relatively quickly, so please take necessary safety precautions.


After fishing the river or at least taking a few minutes to take in the scenic beauty, keep on heading south on ALT 95 until you see signs to Mason Valley Wildlife Management area located on the left side of ALT 95. If you have a float tube or relatively small aluminum boat – be sure to bring it unless you plan to bait fish. Several of the ponds where very weedy and looked to cause problems for anyone who wanted to lure fish.


Take the loop around the ponds too, not only are there several species of fish here but you can also see several species of bird life along with a quick trip to the Fish Hatchery. It was one of the most interesting experiences especially in the understanding of just how the Nevada of Department of Wildlife manages to stock all of the local reservoirs, lakes and streams.

After Mason Valley, get back on ALT 95 and head towards Yerington being sure to then follow Highway 208 towards Smith Valley/Wellington. During your drive to Wellington, the Walker River will be running parallel to the highway. You can find several areas to pull off the road and fish. The spring river flow has been high, so please use caution.

Once you enter Wellington, you’ll want to then take the cutoff to Highway 338 towards Bishop. Not too far along highway, you’ll see a sign to the right for Desert Creek. Follow the dirt road for roughly 6 miles until you begin to travel up through the Desert Creek Canyon. There are three creek crossings before you reach the campground and Indian petroglyphs that can also be found near the campgrounds. The creek runoff is extremely fast and high which made fishing the creek impossible but the canyon alone was worth seeing.

Jump back on Highway 338 and head back to Wellington. If you enjoy the local’s as much as we do, then be sure to stop in at the local bar on the right hand side of the town. The interior and people are rich with Wellington history and our happy to tell you a few stories from the past.


After a refreshing beverage, begin traveling towards Holbrook Junction which then you’ll hook a left for a few miles towards Topaz Lake. One-half of Topaz Lake resides on the California side while the other half resides on the Nevada side – so be sure you know which half you’re fishing on incase you get stopped by Fish and Game. After experiencing Topaz, get back on 395 and head north to the State Capital, Carson City.

Continue to travel north on 395 back towards Reno/Sparks and you’ll pass both Washoe Lake on the right hand side and Davis Creek located on the left hand side. You can stop by either one, but trust us, by this time of day, you'll be in the mood for one thing and one thing only ...SLEEP.