Wild Horse State Recreation Area

03/02/2026

The reservoir is fully open, the boat ramp has been put back in, and the fish are biting! Caution is necessary when navigating the shallows as the water level is low, but other than that, boating season has begun here at Wild Horse! 🛥

02/24/2026

It’s a warm and windy day today with intermittent rain. We don’t expect what is left of the ice to hold on with the warmer weather that is coming up. It looks as though the ice fishing season has come to an end and we will begin monitoring as to when we will put the boat dock in the water. Have a great week!

02/12/2026

ICE SAFETY WARNING – Wild Horse Reservoir

Current ice conditions at Wild Horse Reservoir are not considered safe. We recommend staying off any remaining ice at this time.

Ice continues to deteriorate with the warmer temps leaving many open edges, areas of open water, rotten ice, and soft edges that are not ideal for a safe outing. There are some thicker areas of ice in the northern part of the lake, but access from the shoreline can be unsafe.  

Several access points along the shoreline are fishable and while the boat ramp is not accessible yet, a small pack-able vessel may be another option to launch from the shore.

• The State Park boat ramp has 4-6 ft of open water between the shoreline and the ice. The edges of the ice are very soft. There is still a “river” of open water running south from the ramp across the lake.
• The south end of the lake is in the worst condition, with large areas of open water.
• The Penrod Arm has a decent sheet of ice, but the edges are soft with open water in some areas.
• The Hendricks Arm has soft ice around the edges and open water along some of the shoreline. Areas measured were 4-6” thick, but the ice is actively shrinking.
• Goose Island has open water almost completely surrounding it and working up the shoreline to the north and south.

02/10/2026

Ice conditions haven't changed much. Here are some pictures of the open water and soft edges. We're expecting weather so more updates to come. Thank you.

1.) A "river" of open water off the south shore of the park by the cabins
2.) Another "river" where the pressure ridge was off the boat ramp
3&4.) Thawed edges off the boat ramp
5.) Up by the dam
6&7.) Open water on Hendrick's arm
8.) Soft edges by Hendricks arm
9.) Open spot at Penrod Arm
10.) Soft edges at Penrod Arm

02/09/2026

Unfortunately, last night's storm did a number on the ice. There are now large swathes of open water, and remaining ice has thinned significantly. Even Hendricks and Penrod arms have open water. The forecast does call for slightly colder temperatures and another storm on Wednesday. We will update on ice conditions daily leading up to President's day weekend. Thank you and stay safe!

02/05/2026

02/02/2026

Our measurements from today were anywhere from 7-8” when accessing from the boat ramp. There are pretty large pressure ridges to avoid and pooling water on top of the ice from the warmer weather. We will be in the 50s for the coming week, so please exercise caution when out on the reservoir. We will measure again closer to the fishing derby Amy’s Bar is putting on Valentine’s Day weekend to give you a better idea as you head out. Be safe out there and stay warm!

01/23/2026

We have some good news! After measuring several locations off of the boat ramp, we received ice thickness measurements of anywhere from 4-6”. Please remember that if you are out on the ice, the ice thickness can be more or less depending on where you are at on the reservoir. So please exercise caution when out on the ice and always avoid sketchy looking areas as well as any pressure ridges. We will continue to monitor the ice thickness and update you guys as we can. Thanks and please be safe out there!

01/14/2026

New year brings new reservations! Be sure to go online at www.reservenevada.com and reserve a cabin or campsite before they book up! We look forward to seeing you all on your next visit!

01/12/2026

Ice has now formed over the majority of the reservoir. Since the ice is still newly formed, we are unsure of thickness and do not recommend being out on it. We are seeing people beginning to ice fish and it is much too early. We will be having warmer temps for the next week or so and we will see how the ice holds up. Please be patient and we will get measurements to you guys when we are confident it is safe to do so. Thanks!

01/08/2026

As we enter the new year, the reservoir is still mostly open as it is still struggling to freeze over. We received approximately 5” of snow overnight, which is a welcome site after not receiving much snow thus far. We are hoping things change and the reservoir can finally freeze over completely, but the weather just won’t cooperate. We will update as we see changes. Happy new year and thank you for a great 2025 year! We are appreciative of every visitor we receive here! Here’s to a productive and successful 2026!