Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove fishing

Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove fishing is stocked with Cutthroat Trout and Rainbow Trout on a natural lake. Also recorded: Lake Trout (Mackinaw), Brown Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White and Black Crappie, and 2 more. It is stocked about 4.4 times a year since 2022, most often in June and July. Species guides list dawn and dusk for Rainbow Trout, Kokanee Salmon, and Largemouth Bass, dawn for Lake Trout (Mackinaw), and dawn, day, and dusk for Brown Trout.

Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove
Photo: Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 3.0
Last stocked
June 23, 2026
· Cutthroat Trout
Plants on record
22
Since 2022
Species stocked
2 (+8 also recorded)
Average size
9.7 in
Elevation
6,234.6 ft

Fish at Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove

2 stocked · 8 confirmed present

Cutthroat Trout Stocked · 21 plants · last June 23, 2026

Last stocked June 23, 2026 · avg 9.8 in · 21 plants

How to fish it

Tahoe's native trout. Large wild fish are extremely rare; stocked fish generally go in during June, July and September. Fish Zephyr Cove, Sand Harbor and Cave Rock with Panther Martins, Power Bait, suspended midges or balanced leeches. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Cutthroat Trout species guide
Rainbow Trout Stocked · 1 plant · last July 31, 2023 Best: dawn, dusk

Last stocked July 31, 2023 · avg 9.6 in · 1 plant

Best: dawn, dusk

How to fish it

The next most sought-after fish after mackinaw, usually 10 to 14 inches. Top-line trolling is the most productive boat method. From shore, use nightcrawlers, Power Bait, salmon eggs or minnows, or lures such as Mepps, Panther Martins, Rapalas and Dardevles. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Rainbow Trout species guide
Lake Trout (Mackinaw) Confirmed present Best: dawn

Best: dawn

NDOW says mackinaw are the most caught and most popular fish in the lake, generally 16 to 25 inches; the state-record lake trout, 37 lb 6 oz, came from Tahoe. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

How to fish it

Lake trout are 50 to 90% of the catch, largely because charters target them, and can top 30 pounds. Deep-line trolling, jigging and live minnows are the main methods from a boat. Early in the season they can also be reached from shore or deep drop-offs with bait, lures or flies. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Lake Trout (Mackinaw) species guide
Brown Trout Confirmed present Best: dawn, day, dusk

Best: dawn, day, dusk

NDOW says all of Tahoe's brown trout are wild fish. They make up under 3% of the catch but grow to trophy size; the water record is 15 lb 15 oz. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

How to fish it

Wild, fish-eating browns hold in shallow to moderately deep water. Top-line trolling is the most productive boat method; from boat or shore, fish drop-offs with spinners, Power Bait or live bait, or streamer and midge flies. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Brown Trout species guide
Kokanee Salmon Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk

Best: dawn, dusk

NDOW says kokanee make up about 25% of the angler catch and average 12 to 20 inches. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

How to fish it

A boat fish, about 25% of the catch, averaging 12 to 20 inches. Troll small to medium spinners and lures. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Kokanee Salmon species guide
Largemouth Bass Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk

Best: dawn, dusk

NDOW lists largemouth bass among the lake's introduced sport fish, to a lesser extent than the trout and salmon. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Largemouth Bass species guide
Smallmouth Bass Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk

Best: dawn, dusk

NDOW lists smallmouth bass among Tahoe's warmwater game fish. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Smallmouth Bass species guide
White and Black Crappie Confirmed present Best: dawn, dusk, night

Best: dawn, dusk, night

NDOW lists white and black crappie in the lake. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

White and Black Crappie species guide
Bullhead Catfish Confirmed present

NDOW lists bullhead catfish among Tahoe's warmwater game fish. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Bullhead Catfish species guide
Mountain Whitefish Confirmed present

NDOW lists a 4 lb 9 oz mountain whitefish from Tahoe as an unofficial state record. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Mountain Whitefish species guide

How Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove is stocked

Source: Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The first plant of the year usually falls in the second week of June. In 2026 it was June 4, 2026, about when it usually is.

Fish stocked in 2022

4,857

Fish stocked in 2023

18,506

Fish stocked in 2024

10,966

Fish stocked in 2025

23,687

Fish stocked in 2026

19,050

Stocking history

Showing 5 of 22 plantsShowing 22 plants

Source: Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
June 23, 2026Cutthroat Trout1,04411.1 inreport
June 23, 2026Cutthroat Trout3,07110.7 inreport
June 18, 2026Cutthroat Trout4,9959.4 inreport
June 11, 2026Cutthroat Trout6,2039.7 inreport
June 4, 2026Cutthroat Trout3,73710.2 inreport
July 15, 2025Cutthroat Trout4,5379.4 inreport
July 15, 2025Cutthroat Trout1,21410.8 inreport
July 10, 2025Cutthroat Trout94610.4 inreport
July 10, 2025Cutthroat Trout3,9699.8 inreport
July 3, 2025Cutthroat Trout3,38910.5 inreport
June 17, 2025Cutthroat Trout3,77910 inreport
June 17, 2025Cutthroat Trout1,29210 inreport
June 4, 2025Cutthroat Trout1,1439.5 inreport
June 4, 2025Cutthroat Trout3,4189.5 inreport
June 18, 2024Cutthroat Trout5,8589 inreport
June 6, 2024Cutthroat Trout5,1089.1 inreport
July 31, 2023Rainbow Trout1,0549.6 inreport
June 29, 2023Cutthroat Trout7,0509 inreport
June 22, 2023Cutthroat Trout5,8139.2 inreport
June 8, 2023Cutthroat Trout4,5899 inreport
June 14, 2022Cutthroat Trout3,5598 inreport
June 14, 2022Cutthroat Trout1,29810.5 inreport
Show all 22 plants +Show less

Access and facts

Water type
natural lake
Nearest town
Stateline, NV
Facilities
restrooms, camping

Zephyr Cove Resort is on National Forest land on Tahoe's east shore, about four miles north of Stateline on US 50. The beach is across the road from the campground; there are flush toilets and picnic tables, and fishing charters leave year-round from Zephyr Cove Marina.

Other places to fish at Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove

Zephyr Cove

NDOW names Zephyr Cove, with Sand Harbor and Cave Rock, as a public access area for catching stocked Lahontan cutthroat trout. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Shoreline drop-offs

NDOW suggests working shoreline drop-off points with Kastmasters, Panther Martins, balanced leeches or midge flies for trout that hold along these edges. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Sand Harbor

NDOW says Sand Harbor and Cave Rock give the best catches of small rainbow trout because fish are stocked from these sites. Nevada State Parks runs a public boat launch here, with parking, picnic sites, restrooms and a sandy swim beach. (ndow.org, accessed September 26, 2026)

Cave Rock

Nevada State Parks says the steep shoreline and rocky shoals make this a good fishing location. The launch has a double ramp with a dock between the lanes and more than 40 trailer spaces. (parks.nv.gov, accessed September 26, 2026)

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About Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove

Lake Tahoe covers 192 square miles in the Sierra Nevada, with a maximum depth of 1,646 feet; about a third of it is in Nevada. A 1909 dam at the Truckee River outlet raised it six feet. Its sport fish are introduced: lake trout (mackinaw), rainbow and brown trout, kokanee, and some warmwater species. NDOW manages it as a put-and-take fishery and also stocks Lahontan cutthroat, the native trout. July and August are usually the most productive months.

Photo of Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove
Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo of Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo of Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove
inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0

Nearest lakes

Lake Tahoe – Cave Rock 2.4 mi last stocked July 29, 2025 Spooner Lake 7.2 mi last stocked July 8, 2025 Martin Slough 8.4 mi last stocked May 18, 2026 Seeman Pond 10.6 mi last stocked September 30, 2026 Marlette Lake 11.8 mi last stocked September 5, 2023

Camping near Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove

Campgrounds within 15 miles of Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove's mapped point, nearest first: Zephyr Cove RV & Campground (0.2 miles), Nevada Beach Campground (1.9 miles), Badgers Den at Camp Richardson Resort (7 miles), Eagles Nest at Camp Richardson Resort (7 miles), and RV Village Campground at Camp Richardson Resort (7 miles), each with its own campground page on campgroundsdb.com.

Straight-line distances.

Public land at Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove

Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove is inside Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Boundaries from Public Lands DB, part of the same network.

Common questions

What fish are at Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove?

Fishing Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove usually means Cutthroat Trout: Cutthroat Trout accounts for 21 of 22 plants on record, ahead of Rainbow Trout. Cutthroat Trout was last stocked June 23, 2026, averaging 9.8 in. Rainbow Trout was last stocked July 31, 2023, averaging 9.6 in. Lake Trout (Mackinaw) (NDOW says mackinaw are the most caught and most popular fish in the lake, generally 16 to 25 inches; the state-record lake trout, 37 lb 6 oz, came from Tahoe), Brown Trout (NDOW says all of Tahoe's brown trout are wild fish. They make up under 3% of the catch but grow to trophy size; the water record is 15 lb 15 oz), Kokanee Salmon (NDOW says kokanee make up about 25% of the angler catch and average 12 to 20 inches), and Largemouth Bass (NDOW lists largemouth bass among the lake's introduced sport fish, to a lesser extent than the trout and salmon), plus 4 more are recorded here outside the stocking reports.

When is Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove stocked?

Last stocked June 23, 2026. It is stocked about 4.4 times a year since 2022, most often in June and July. The first plant of the year usually falls in the second week of June. In 2026 it was June 4, 2026, about when it usually is.

How big are the fish stocked at Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove?

Stocked fish average 9.7 in. Cutthroat Trout average 9.8 in. Rainbow Trout average 9.6 in.

How do you get on Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove?

The nearest town is Stateline, NV. Facilities include restrooms and camping. Zephyr Cove Resort is on National Forest land on Tahoe's east shore, about four miles north of Stateline on US 50. The beach is across the road from the campground; there are flush toilets and picnic tables, and fishing charters leave year-round from Zephyr Cove Marina.

Which lakes near Lake Tahoe – Zephyr Cove were stocked more recently?

Seeman Pond (10.6 mi) was stocked more recently. Seeman Pond is also stocked with Rainbow Trout.

Sources (5) +