Topaz Lake opens on Monday morning

Topaz Lake, which is located on the Nevada-California Stateline, along U.S. 395, will open for the 2001 fishing season, one hour before sunrise on Monday.

That special opener annually attracts huge crowds of anglers. You can expect to see hundreds and hundreds of die-hard fisherman at Topaz Lake on New Year's Day.

If you would like to be one of the hundreds of participants in that opener and if you have never fished at Topaz Lake, here is some information that might be helpful to you:

-- To reach the lake: Take U.S. 395 south from the Carson City area for about 40 miles.

Once you're there, you can fish, anywhere, equally as well from shore, a float tube or a boat.

-- Fishing from shore: Your best locations to catch fish will be along the north end or along the highway side of the lake. Try different colors of Power Bait or nightcrawlers, fished right on the bottom. If you are a spincaster, try small lures such as Daredevils, TOR-P-DO's, Kastmasters, Super Duper, etc.

-- From a float tube: If you are a fly fisherman and if you can tolerate being in the cold water, try small flies such as hares' ears, Prince Nymph or stone flies.

-- From a boat: You might want to slowly troll along the shoreline on the far side of the lake or near the rocky point by the Douglas County Campground or on the south end of the lake near the mouth of the West Walker River. Troll with silver flasher blades plus nightcrawlers, a silver U-20 Flatfish lure or with other lures such as a black/gold or black/silver, No. 5 Count-Down Rapala. If the weather is nice and if you're lazy, you might want to anchor your boat and bottom fish on the south end of the lake, near the mouth of the West Walker River. If you do, try Power Bait or nightcrawlers.

-- You'll catch: German brown trout and rainbow trout, up to about 5-6 pounds. However, the average size will be much closer to about 1-1.5 pounds each. There are also a few remaining Tiger trout, but not very many. The Tiger is a hybrid crossbreed between a male Eastern brook trout and a female German brown trout.

-- Special Note: Either a California or Nevada fishing license is valid anywhere at Topaz Lake. You will need the brand-new 2001 California license or the 2000-2001 Nevada license, which is valid until the last day of February.

-- Note: Topaz Lake will remain open to fishing until Sept. 30. The lake limit is five trout, 10 mountain whitefish and 15 warmwater game fish, of which not more than five may be black bass.

Also, the area within a 100-yard radius of the Topaz Marina is closed to fishing.

-- For information: Call the Fisheries Bureau of the Nevada Division of Wildlife in Reno at 688-1500 during regular hours or Chuck and Linda Fields of the Topaz Lake Marina at (775) 266-3550 or the Topaz Lodge at (775) 266-3338.