2026 regulation year
Cave Lake 2026 — Nevada Fishing Regulations
Nevada statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Cave Lake carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Nevada's 2026 fishing rules — covering Brown trout. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
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Per-species rules on Cave Lake
Trout 5 / day combined; NV state-record brown trout 27 lb 5 oz Cave Lake 1984 (Dennis Mangum) — a small alpine reservoir in the Schell Creek Range near Ely, White Pine County; Trout Stamp required
Official source
Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) publishes the authoritative 2026 Nevada fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Nevada fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Nevada Department of Wildlife's emergency-order feed — check it before any Nevada trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Nevada
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Cave Lake?
- Cave Lake carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Nevada's statewide 2026 rules, covering Brown trout. It reads: "Trout 5 / day combined; NV state-record brown trout 27 lb 5 oz Cave Lake 1984 (Dennis Mangum) — a small alpine reservoir in the Schell Creek Range near Ely, White Pine County; Trout Stamp required." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Cave Lake?
- Yes. Cave Lake is in Nevada, so a valid Nevada fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Cave Lake; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Nevada rules.
- Do Cave Lake's special rules replace Nevada's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Nevada's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Cave Lake by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.
- Which species have special rules on Cave Lake?
- Brown trout has a water-body-specific rule on Cave Lake, each linking to its full Nevada regulations above. Species not listed here follow the statewide Nevada limits.