Heenan Lake has opened for it’s short season (Sept-Oct) and fishing has been very good in the first week. Typical of late summer, fish are concentrated at deeper depths anywhere from 15-25 feet. This is a local favorite since Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) inhabit the lake. While these fish are a bit smaller than the LCT at Pyramid Lake, they can achieve large size in a short time due to the available feed in the lake. Shore fishing can be tough at Heenan due the weed growth along the edges of the lake, so a boat of some kind float tube will help get you into fishable water. There are a variety of ways to fish the lake, with a deep water indicator setup being the most popular and effective. By using a Jay da Cator on a long leader with bobber stoppers, you can suspend flies at depths in the 15-30’ range. Chironomids account for many caught fish and work best when suspended within a foot of the lake bottom. These flies can also be placed effectively in the target zone on a full sink line. Additionally, scuds and leeches fished along the vertical weed lines work well when targeting cruising fish. With a limited fishing season, now is the time to fish Heenan Lake.

Flies we suggest: Holographic Midge, Yankee Buzzer, Mini Jigged Leech, Balanced Leech, Hale Bopp Leech