Comins Lake was built in 1953 from the realignment of Highway 93, which created the dam for this impoundment. The Department of Wildlife acquired the reservoir as part of the 3-C Ranch purchase in 1999, which is situated on the Steptoe Valley Wildlife Management Area. The reservoir has been chemically treated twice to remove northern pike, first in 1989 and most recently in the summer of 2015. In both instances, northern pike decimated the reservoir’s trout and bass populations through predation. Predictably, once pike exhaust their food supply, they turn cannibalistic. This results in a population crash and development of stunted-sized pike. Since its most recent renovation, Comins Lake has been restocked with trout and largemouth bass. Largemouth bass are self-sustaining and generally need on further stocking, while trout are stocked annually in the spring and fall.
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- Region
- Eastern
- County
- White Pine
- Type of water
- Lake or Reservoir
Fishing Report
The north lake is covered in 2.5 to 3.5 inches of ice. The ice quality on the north lake is poor and anglers should avoid this area. Moving through the narrows and into the south lake the ice is 5 to 8 inches thick. The ice quality in these areas is good and should provide good fishing. On the south end, near the float tube launch, the lake has opened in areas and remaining ice should be considered unsafe. Anglers should always use safety equipment while out ice fishing.
Fall stocking was completed with 10,059 rainbow trout averaging 9.1 inches being stocked. Additionally, the lake received 3,677 tiger trout this fall, averaging 10.8 inches. Recent surveys have shown a lot of hatchery size trout in the north lake and numerous 16-to-18 inch rainbow trout in the south lake, some well exceeding 24 inches. Brown trout in the 12-to-14-inch range was observed throughout fall surveys. Anglers should do well with nightcrawlers, jigs with soft body baits, and PowerBait for trout. Anglers looking to pursue northern pike should use flashy lures, RatL traps, and lures that resemble trout, bass, and bluegill that can be jigged.
There is a limited bluegill fishery at Comins Lake, and anglers are encouraged to release bluegill to better establish their population.
01-30-2026Stocking Updates
| Stocked | Species | Inches | Date Stocked | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1692 | Tiger Trout | 11 | 12-19-2025 | 3,677 |
| 5044 | Rainbow Trout | 9.1 | 10-27-2025 | 20400 |
| 1985 | Tiger Trout | 10.6 | 10-07-2025 | 1985 |
| 5011 | Rainbow Trout | 9.1 | 10-07-2025 | 15352 |
| 3654 | Brown Trout | 10.0 | 05-27-2025 | 8532 |
| 4878 | Brown Trout | 9.7 | 05-21-2025 | 4878 |
| 3289 | Rainbow Trout | 9.4 | 05-19-2025 | 10335 |
| 3542 | Rainbow Trout | 10.0 | 04-29-2025 | 7046 |
| 3504 | Rainbow Trout | 9.5 | 04-28-2025 | 3504 |
| 1760 | Tiger Trout | 11.2 | 12-03-2024 | 1760 |
| 8436 | Brown Trout | 10.4 | 11-20-2024 | 8436 |
| 5026 | Rainbow Trout | 8.9 | 10-11-2024 | 21759 |
| 5017 | Rainbow Trout | 9.0 | 10-09-2024 | 16733 |
| 1000 | Rainbow Trout | 10.0 | 06-25-2024 | 11716 |
| 5256 | Rainbow Trout | 9.5 | 06-18-2024 | 10716 |
| 6176 | Bluegill | 2.7 | 06-11-2024 | 6176 |
| 5460 | Rainbow Trout | 9.3 | 05-14-2024 | 5460 |
| 3472 | Rainbow Trout | 8.0 | 10-25-2023 | 16784 |
| 4774 | Rainbow Trout | 8.3 | 10-25-2023 | 13312 |
| 1698 | Bluegill | 6.1 | 06-29-2023 | 1698 |
| 3532 | Rainbow Trout | 8.8 | 05-16-2023 | 8538 |
| 5006 | Rainbow Trout | 9.6 | 05-08-2023 | 5006 |
Pertinent Information
Comins Lake is fed by Steptoe and Cave creeks from the east and occasionally by Willow Creek from the south. At capacity, the lake covers 410 surface acres, has a maximum depth of 14 feet, and an average depth of about 8 feet. Rainbow trout, brown trout, and largemouth bass currently inhabit the reservoir. Due to the tremendous amount of feed, fish grow very rapidly and reach healthy sizes. Fishing for trout is usually best in the spring and fall while bass fishing is most productive during the warmer summer months. Bait anglers find Power Bait, salmon eggs, or night crawlers fished off the bottom with minimal weight is best for trout. Small spinners and spoons are also popular with casters, but a fly behind a bubble can produce excellent results. Fly-fishing is popular for trout and anglers have the best success using wooly buggers and damsels in the spring as well as nymphs and midges under a strike indicator the rest of the year. Remember to use a heavy leader. For those willing to brave the elements, weighted jigs (green or yellow) seem to work best for ice fishing. There is a primitive boat launch along the west side of the reservoir along with restrooms. Overnight camping and fires are not allowed.