boating

For those who keep tabs on Nevada's wildlife, a frequently asked question during periods of heavy snowfall is – should we feed wildlife when winter limits their food availability?

Game wardens noted an alarming increase in illegally, sometimes mistakenly, killed waterfowl at the end of the waterfowl hunting season that closed on Jan. 29 at the Key Pittman and the Overton Wildlife Management Areas in Southern Nevada.

Hello fellow anglers, the weather may be questionable but many anglers are getting out and doing well. You just need to dress a little warmer for the occasion.

If you’re looking for something to do on New Year’s Day other than sitting on the couch watching football, you should try heading out to the season opener at Topaz Lake. The lake has been closed to fishing since September 30, but it will be open for fishing again on Jan. 1 in one of Nevada's more unique ways to celebrate New Year's Day.

Hello fellow anglers, I hope you have a safe and Happy New Year. I will be bringing in the Naw year at Topaz Lake with 500 other freezing souls. The water level is up 12 feet from this time last year, both of the boat launches will be open. The Topaz Landing Marina will be open with rental boats this year.

Time is running and you still can’t figure out what to get that special angler, hunter or outdoor enthusiast for the holidays? If you are still searching for the perfect gift for your sportsman, the Nevada Department of Wildlife has some ideas that might help.

Smartphones became Lake Tahoe’s first line of defense against the introduction of new aquatic invasive species this summer.

As part of recently launched partnerships with agencies around the West, the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program receives real-time updates from other land managers about vessels traveling to Lake Tahoe from waters with a high risk of containing invasive species. The data-sharing app used by partner agencies acts as an early warning system for Tahoe’s watercraft inspectors.

Millions of people visit our region each year, and the shoreline is where most of them go to enjoy the beauty and the cold, famously clear water of Lake Tahoe.

The shoreline is also where a challenging mix of planning issues converge: Protecting the environment and our lake’s awe-inspiring scenery, managing recreation access, and respecting private property rights.

Winds are expected to increase Thursday afternoon and evening around Carson City prompting the National Weather Service to issue a Red Flag Warning for the region.

Hot and dry weather will continue through at least Monday with gusty winds expected to arrive, prompting the National Weather Service in Reno to issue a Red Flag Warning for Carson City and much of Western Nevada beginning Sunday.

Winds will become increasingly strong and gusty Friday afternoon and Saturday prompting a Red Flag Warning by the National Weather Service for much of western Nevada and Carson City region.

Carson City has had the pleasure of welcoming Rowan brothers, Lorin and Chris over the years as they’ve played at Cafe at Adele’s. This year is no different, but with one exception: In addition to opening Concert Under the Stars, A Benefit For The Greenhouse Project, Thursday, July 14, The Rowans also play at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 13, on the veranda.

"Swim Smart, Swim Safe: know the dangers of cold water" is the message coming from agencies responsible for boating and water safety on Lake Tahoe, especially after the recent deaths in the lake of two healthy men.

Drowning incidents from boating, paddling and swimming often share the same cause, "cold water shock," an involuntary gasp reflex caused by sudden immersion in cold water. Swimmers and boaters suddenly exposed to the cold waters of Lake Tahoe may experience rapid breathing, gasping, fainting, muscle failure and immediate risk of drowning.

Law enforcement officers across Nevada will be on heightened alert for those violating boating under the influence laws during the annual Operation Dry Water weekend, June 25-26.

Operation Dry Water is a nationally coordinated heightened awareness and enforcement campaign, focused on deterring boaters from boating under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and its partners have started work on the Shoreline Plan, a collaborative planning process to enhance recreation and protect Lake Tahoe’s 72 miles of shoreline.

Low pressure will bring gusty winds and cool temperatures into Friday with the highest winds on Wednesday as a cold front moves through the region. A Red Flag Warning is in effect until 11 p.m. for the Sierra front, which includes Carson City.

Free Fishing Day is your one chance during the year to get hooked for free. In Nevada it always falls on the second Saturday in June. This year, Free Fishing Day is this Saturday, June 11. No license or trout stamp is needed for adults or children.

There will be no better place to be Thursday, July 14, than at Cafe at Adele’s in Carson City for the eighth annual Concert Under the Stars, A Benefit for The Greenhouse Project, when the summer air fills with the unstoppable rhythm, blues and funk sounds of Tower of Power, who have delighted crowds since they first began playing in Oakland, Calif.

With help from a wet winter, law enforcement agencies in Northern Nevada are preparing for a busy boating season at Lakes Tahoe, Topaz, Lahontan and others water ways following several years of drought and tough boating conditions.

Hello fellow anglers, I wanted to give you a small report on the higher lakes in the Alpine County area. Although down in the valley the temperatures have been in the low 40's to mid 70 degrees. The higher lakes are still in winter, spring mode. Temperatures are in the low 30's and not rising until after mid day and may only hold a mid 60 degree temperature for an hour or so. Be prepared when you travel to the higher elevations.

After a chance of showers late Friday night, it looks like Saturday will be a breezy first day of fishing season for much the Sierra and western Nevada, according to the National Weather Service.

Roadside stations for inspections and decontaminations of motorized boats and watercraft are officially opening for the 2016 boating season. Locations, hours of operation and opening dates are as follows:

During the week of April 17-23, the Nevada Department of Wildlife is joining a nationwide effort created by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators to promote boating education. Developed by NASBLA, and produced under a grant administered by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Spring Aboard campaign brings together state, federal and nonprofit partners to encourage boaters to enroll in a boating education course before boating season kicks off.

Try describing the Silver State Tag without sounding like an infomercial. It simply cannot be done. With all the extra gear and services a person can win you are constantly saying the phrase, “but wait, there’s more!”

The Silver State Tag already allows hunters the opportunity to hunt one of four big game species (mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, Nelson (desert) bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope) anywhere in the state, but the winner also walks away with thousands of dollars’ worth of hunting gear and services.

Senior Airman Michael Anthony Beaton, 26, a member of the 152nd Maintenance Squadron, Nevada Air National Guard, died this week in a boating accident at Pyramid Lake.

Minnesota wildlife artist Mark A. Thone has done well in the previous art contests he has entered, but after getting close several times and never winning, he was starting to wonder if it was ever going to happen. Well, he can stop wondering because Thone’s entry has been selected as the winner of this year’s Nevada Duck Stamp Art Contest.

“My first reaction to your announcement of my selection as Nevada Duck Stamp winner was an ear to ear grin,” said Thone. “Then I played my poker face told my wife the news…As her face lit up, I admit to doing a little touchdown dance.”

Nevada game wardens are seeking information about a bull elk that was poached and left to rot near the Pearson Ranch late August in Lincoln County. Operation Game Thief is offering a $2,000 reward to help catch the shooter.

This is a reminder that Pyramid Lake, which is located about 30-35 miles north of Reno-Sparks, is now open to fishing for its super-sized Lahontan cutthroat trout that range in size and are can be 20 pounds or bigger. That large, desert lake (roughly the same surface size as Lake Tahoe) has a three-month trout closure, each year, from July 1 to Sept. 30.

Gusty southwest winds will continue through Wednesday, bringing dangerous boating conditions at Lake Tahoe and Pyramid and areas of blowing dust elsewhere, according to the National Weather Service in Reno.

The winds will also bring additional smoke from the Rough, Lumpkin, Valley, and Butte fires across the Sierra and northern Nevada.

The intensity of the smoke and air quality impacts will be dependent on how active the fires are burning. For air quality information go to airnow.gov.

The National Weather Service says a strong “October-like” weather system will bring cooler temperatures and very strong wind to the region Friday night through Saturday making for dangerous fire conditions.