West Fork Carson River near South Lake Tahoe, California
While the East Fork is the better known of the two, I think the West Fork offers better fishing with less fishing pressure. Most of the river offers nice wild brookies, 1lbs rainbows, and a few 4lbs brown trout. If you want to the best shot at catching a lot of big fish I recommend fishing the stretch that is part of Sorensen's Resort, they stock it heavily and the fish are even bigger. Despite how big the fish are, the creek is actually not very big at at. West Fork is not more than 50ft at the widest. The river does feature plenty of structure though including riffles, pocket waters, plunge pools, and deep holes where the big ones like to hid. Late April and early May bring lots of water and lots of runoff. Fishing is bad, but some anglers manage to catch a few fish on sinking-tip lines and weighted nymphs or sculpin patterns. From the end of May into October the usual patterns and presentations work the best. Late August and September are when you should be using terrestrials, especially grasshoppers. October is when the caddis come out to play. Fishing the headwaters might be a good idea too for late trout and three different species of rainbows.
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West Fork Carson River Fishing near South Lake Tahoe, California
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Details for West Fork Carson River
Species Caught Here:
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
Brook Trout
Access: Public Property
Body of Water Type: Stream
Lat/Long: 38.874905 -119.763786
Bodies of Water near West Fork Carson River
Description for West Fork Carson River, Alpine County, California
West Fork Carson River is a stream located just 12.5 miles from South Lake Tahoe, in Alpine County, in the state of California, United States, near Gardnerville Ranchos, NV. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout here. Whether you’re fly fishing, spinning or baitcasting your chances of getting a bite here are good. So grab your favorite fly fishing rod and reel, and head out to West Fork Carson River.
For Fishing License purchase, fishing rules, and fishing regulations please visit
California Fish & Wildlife.
Please remember to check with the local Fish and Wildlife department to ensure the stream is open to the public. Now get out there and fish! Check out our
Fishing Times chart to determine when the fish will be most active.
Fishing Hot Spots near West Fork Carson River
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