Cold Creek Pond is a small body of water located near Mount Charleston, about 50 minutes outside of Las Vegas. It’s one of the lesser-known fishing spots in the city.
Since the pond isn’t as popular as other lakes, it’s easy to catch a ton of fish here. However, Cold Creek Pond is only stocked twice a year, so you can only fish here in the winter and early spring.
Also See: Best Places to go Fishing in Las Vegas
What Type of Fish are in Cold Creek Pond?
Cold Creek Pond can be found near Mount Charleston at an elevation of 6,000 feet. Because of its elevation, the pond gets colder than the rest of Las Vegas. This is the perfect environment for trout.
All the fish in Cold Creek Pond are stock rainbow trout, so they don’t get that big. You may occasionally find goldfish in the pond as well since people sometimes release their pets here.
The trout in Cold Creek Pond are between 6-12 inches in length, with the vast majority of them being around 8 to 9 inches long. You can keep the fish that you catch in the pond, however, the is a limit of 3 fish per person.
What fishing baits and lures to use?
To get the fish to bite, you’re going to want to try different baits. PowerBait should be your go-to, but if it’s not working, you can also try Power Worms, spinners, and different Jerkbaits. I recommend trying a couple of different types of lures to see what works.
Since most anglers are using the same baits, the smarter fish might not bite on PowerBait. This is especially true in the spring after the fish have been in the pond for a few months.
You can still catch fish with PowerBait, but you’ll have to set the hook at the right time. The older fish are very good at taking your bait without getting hooked. If you have experience fly fishing, that also works really well.
Cold Creek Pond Stocking
Cold Creek Pond is only stocked twice a year, with about 1,000 rainbow trout at a time. The trout are usually released into the pond in November and March.
Although trout are stocked semi-annually, they are typically all fished out by July. Any fish remaining in the pond die off during the summer because of the heat in the desert. There are usually no fish in the pond from July to October.
If you want to catch some trout in the summer and fall, I recommend fishing at Floyd Lamb Park. The fish are restocked more regularly at the urban ponds in Las Vegas.
Cost to Fish at Cold Creek Pond in Las Vegas
It’s free to fish at Cold Creek Pond. The only thing that you need is a Nevada fishing license. Annual fishing licenses cost $40 for adults and $15 for kids that live in Nevada. If you’re a non-resident, you can purchase an annual license for $80 or a daily permit for $18.
Cold Creek Pond Directions
Cold Creek Pond is located on Shootingstar Road in Cold Creek Nevada. It’s easy to miss since the pond only covers about an acre. You’ll find it right up the road from the fire station.
If you start on the Las Vegas Strip, it takes about 50 minutes to drive out to Cold Creek Pond. But if you’re looking for a good trout fishing spot, the trip is more than worth it. The pond is open 24 hours a day.
Don’t be surprised if you see wild horses walking around the area. The town of Cold Creek is known for its wild horse population. Just be mindful that they are there and avoid feeding them.
