'What a trip!': Angler catches, releases 31 lb. Lahontan cutthroat trout at Pyramid Lake

Sutcliffe, NV − On October 5, Klay Gustin caught the fish of a lifetime at Pyramid Lake. Known for its stunning desert scenery, the lake is located on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation in Nevada, 39 miles northeast of Reno.

The Lahontan cutthroat weighed 31 pounds, 4 ounces on Gustin’s scale. It is the biggest fish reported at the lake this year and possibly the largest of its kind caught in nearly 100 years. After taking photos and video of the fish, he released it back into the lake.

“I caught what could possibly be the Nevada State Record for Lahontan cutthroat at 31 pounds, 4 ounces,” he stated on Facebook. “In all the excitement, we didn’t get the scale reading in our video. What a trip!”

Gustin is the President of Gustin Hydraulics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The world record cutthroat trout, caught by John Skimmerhorn at Pyramid in 1925, weighed 41 pounds.

In 2021, Quinn Pauley landed a 39-inch Lahontan that he estimated to be close to 30 pounds at Pyramid.

The proliferation of big fish now found in the lake is due to the introduction of the Pilot Peak strain of Lahontan cutthroat trout into the lake. These fish descended from the original stain of Pyramid Lake trout that were planted in a small creek in Utah before the fish became extinct in Pyramid Lake by the 1940s.

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They were introduced into the lake by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after being successfully raised at the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery in Gardnerville. These fish have drawn anglers from all over the world to target them.

I successfully battled a 14 lb. cutthroat while jigging a marabou jig on the lake on a trip with Mike McNeilly in October 2015. I can barely imagine the effort it took to get Gustin’s fish in.

Anglers are wondering if the old record of 41 pounds may be broken with the reintroduction of the lake’s original strain of cutthroat.

Fishing at the lake, a remnant of the ancient Lake Lahontan, has been really good for boaters since the lake reopened to fishing on October 1.

“Boaters are catching lots of fish, including many in the 10 to 14 lb. range, while trolling a variety of lures and jigging. The fishing from shore is slow,” said Valerie Morrow at the Pyramid Lake Lodge.

Miles Zimmerman at Trout Creek Outfitters in Truckee noted that the lake water temperatures are colder than usual.

“The good news with the colder conditions this year is that we expect the shore fishing to get good earlier this season, maybe even as soon as November. As of now, anglers fishing off the shore are still finding some fish, mostly in the afternoons,” he noted.

“With that said, the size of the fish caught in the first week has been impressive, with numerous fishes already seen over 20 pounds,” he added.

Pyramid Lake is a world-class trout fishery.

It is also the only place where the ancient Cui-ui, a sucker-like fish, is found. Anglers are prohibited from catching the Cui-ui, a protected species that the Tribe raises in hatchery facilities on the lake along with Lahontan cutthroats.

To fish at Pyramid Lake, you don’t need a State of Nevada Fishing License, just a tribal fishing and/or boating permit. Boats are required to have current registration from their respective state, according to the Tribe’s website.

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Barbless hooks only are required when fishing. You can have two singles, two doubles of two treble hooks per lure.

No bait is allowed at the lake. No worms, eggs, scent PowerBait or other like products or “any organic matter on your hooks” may be used.

There is a slot limit in place. Keepers are 17 to 20 inches or over 24 inches. All other sizes must be returned to the water. You may keep two of the smaller size or one small and one large.

Rio Vista Bass Derby Oct 13, 14 & 15: Delta anglers are gearing up to fish the oldest bass derby on the West Coast, the Rio Vista Bass Derby, during the Rio Vista Bass Festival on October 13, 14 and 15.

Anglers entering the adult division can choose from two fishing contests on the same ticket — striped bass and sturgeon. Target lengths will be drawn at the start of the derby early Friday morning for both species.

Salmon will not be included in the 2023 Rio Vista Bass Derby, since the recreational California ocean salmon fishery is closed in all sectors this year.

The Kids Derby will feature two categories — striped bass and catfish. There are separate prizes for their achievements. Catfish can be any size and the fish with the top weight and length will be declared the winner. Kids under the age of 16 are excluded from participating in the adult derby.

Awards will be presented at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, at the foot of Main Street in downtown Rio Vista. All winners must be present to receive their prizes.

Emergency sturgeon regulations to be considered: Sturgeon anglers concerned about the future of the white sturgeon fishery in California are encouraged to attend the California Fish and Game Commission meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 11 in San Jose at the San Jose Scottish Rite Center, 2455 Masonic Drive, San Jose, CA 95125.

Item number 9 on the agenda is listed as “White Sturgeon Emergency Regulation.”

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The Commission will discuss and consider adopting emergency regulations concerning the recreational take of white sturgeon to support the recovery of sturgeon populations and to track fishing pressure and success.

“The CDFW plans to stop the harvest of sturgeon throughout the state immediately,” according to James Stone, President of the NorCal Guides and Sportsman’s Association (NCGASA). “There would be a permanent closure of the upper river and it would be catch and release only in the Delta and the bays.”

To protect the surviving population of white sturgeon and maintain a recreational fishery into the future, the Department states that “immediate steps are necessary to (1) stop angler-associated harvest of adult white sturgeon and (2) minimize harassment and handling on the spawning grounds so that adults can successfully spawn, and new individuals can recruit to the population.”

You can find the agenda and proposed emergency sturgeon regulations on the Fish and Game Commission website at www.fgc.ca.gov.

You can participate in person, or it can be viewed via live stream; visit www.fgc.ca.gov the day of the meeting to watch or listen. To provide public comment during the meeting, please join the webinar directly at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81722552033, or visit: http://fgc.ca.gov/Meetings/2023.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Angler catches and releases 31 lb. Lahontan cutthroat at Pyramid Lake