Wild Horse State Recreation Area

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Wild Horse State Recreation Area

Remote and remarkable, Wild Horse State Recreation Area is open year round. The reservoir near the park is a popular fishing site.

Cold winters make the lake a an ideal location to ice fish and skate, or to explore on snowmobiles or skis.

08/01/2026

After much deliberation the boat ramp was pulled and will remain put of the water for the remainder of the season due to low water levels.
Thank you -WHSRA Staff

07/25/2026

After public feedback and an examination of the dams reduced flowrate, the boat ramp was not pulled out yesterday as originally planned.

We will continue to monitor conditions and pull the ramp the moment it poses too large a safety risk.

Thank you

07/23/2026

!ATTENTION!

Due to low, still receding, water levels. We will be pulling the boat ramp dock tomorrow, 7/24/26 and it will remain out of service until water levels rise next spring.

The boat ramp will remain in operation, but waders are advised if you wish to stay dry while launching.

Thank you, and stay tuned for more park updates - WHSRA staff

06/29/2026

Thank you to all of the incredible volunteers who braved the cold, wind, and rain this past weekend to help plant trees at Wild Horse State Recreation Area!

This project was our final service project celebrating our nation turning 250 years old, but it’s not your last opportunity to volunteer with us.

If you’re interested in becoming a camp host, serving as a docent, or just lending a hand with park projects throughout the year, we’d love to have you! You can use the volunteer link in our bio or by visiting parks.nv.gov/volunteer.

06/22/2026

Join us this weekend for the final America 250 Service Project!

We’ll be planting trees at Wild Horse State Recreation Area from 9am-12pm. Stop by anytime, or join us for the day.

Volunteers receive free entry into the park for the day, a free commemorative t-shirt, and lunch! Register ahead of time to be guaranteed a shirt.

This is a great event for the whole family. Leave a positive mark on one of your favorite places.

Learn more at parks.nv.gov/events or by using the link in our bio.

📸: photo shown was the previous service project at Washoe Lake State Park

05/23/2026

Check out this massive tiger trout camper Jadyn Brooks of Idaho caught on the 9th of May just off of the boat ramp at Wild Horse SRA.

This monster measured 27.5 inches long, weighed in at 9 pounds 3 oz, and is currently being investigated as a water record!

Congrats again to Jadyn for the amazing catch!

05/12/2026

‼️ Park Alert ‼️

RV hook-up installation on Campground Loop 2 (near the boat ramp) at Wild Horse State Recreation Area has began and will last through the 2026 summer season.

Loop 2 will be closed for the entirety of the project. The rest of the park remains open, with camping available in Loop 1 (first come, first serve availability may be limited). Day-use access and the boat ramp remain unaffected.

Visitors may experience daytime construction activity during this improvement project as well as limited access to showers and fish cleaning stations.

For updates, use the link in our bio or visit parks.nv.gov/news

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.

Address

HC31 Box 265
Elko, NV
89801

Website

http://linktr.ee/nvstateparks

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