Above Glenbrook, the west side of the Spooner Lake backcountry has reopened, and the Flume Trail is open again. The lake at the top of North Canyon now sits behind a brand-new earthen dam. Crews drew Marlette Lake down about 20 feet for construction, and about 20 feet of water stayed in the basin while they worked.
The construction work ended this month, but the refill depends on how much snow falls each winter. Planning a fall walk, a winter ski or next summer's fishing up there depends on that refill far more than on the reopening date.
A 150-Year-Old Water System Got a New Dam on Schedule
Nevada State Public Works broke ground on the $23.5 million Marlette Lake Dam Rehabilitation on June 12, 2025. Carson Now reported that the project finished on schedule in October 2026. Granite Construction was the main contractor and Lumos & Associates handled architecture and engineering.
The work was a replacement, not a patch. Crews drained the reservoir, removed the old earthen dam and built a new one. They also added seismic upgrades, improved the spillway, and replaced the discharge piping and outlet valves. The original system dates to the mid-1870s, when it was built to send water to Virginia City. It still supplies Storey County and Carson City today.
The rehabilitation traces back to a 2017 inspection by the Nevada Division of Water Resources. Inspectors found seepage in the dam and concluded it could eventually lead to catastrophic failure. The FEMA Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund paid for the rebuild, after a planning period of about four years that included environmental and cultural resource surveys.
The Water Comes Back on Snowpack, Not on a Contract Date
The Tahoe Daily Tribune's October 6 report says the lake's natural recharge "is ongoing and highly dependent on the snowpack received over the winter months."
"High-level modeling conservatively estimates it will take four to six seasons for the lake's water level to return to normal."
The project team's modeling, as quoted in that same Tribune report, means that through several more summers, the lake at the end of the climb will look low compared with how it looked before 2025. A big winter shortens the wait and a thin one stretches it. An older 2025 estimate put the refill at six to seven years. The four-to-six-season figure is the current one.
Most of the outings you'd take from Glenbrook can go ahead now, whatever the water level. The ones built around the lake, like an afternoon at the shoreline or a day of fly fishing, will play out over several summers as the water comes back.
The Trout Follow the Water
The fishery is tied to the refill. When construction started, the Nevada Department of Wildlife moved fish from Marlette to nearby reservoirs, and its project FAQ says NDOW "will restock Marlette Lake after construction is completed." The October announcement adds a condition, saying NDOW will stock rainbow and Lahontan cutthroat trout "when conditions allow." No restocking date has been published. NDOW posts updates on its fish stocking database.
The calendar works against an early fishing trip anyway. Marlette was never a year-round fishery. Under Nevada's adopted 2026–27 fishing regulations, the season for the lake, its tributaries and its outlet stream runs July 15 through September 30, and the rule is "Daily: 0 trout, catch and release only." Nevada State Parks also requires artificial lures and single barbless hooks. The 2026 season closed before the reopening was announced. The next legal cast at Marlette is July 15, 2027, and whether fish are in the lake by then depends on NDOW.
The East Side Is Still a Work Zone
The October reopening covers the west side of the backcountry. The other dam in the Marlette Lake Water System is still under construction. Hobart Reservoir Dam work started in May 2026, and the state's Hobart FAQ targets final completion in July 2027. Hobart has been drained, and the FAQ says it will be allowed to refill after the project is complete.
Nevada State Parks' May 22 notice lists Lakeview, Franktown Creek and Pipeline roads as closed to the public from 5 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, during Hobart construction hours. It warns that the closures may change as construction needs change. The same notice says Hobart Reservoir "will remain closed and inaccessible for fishing and recreation for the 2026 summer season." State Parks has not published an update saying what happens after that window. The official closure map on the Public Works site still carries the label "Map Revised 8/6/2026."
So after the reopening, the backcountry runs on two schedules. The west side has a finished dam and a lake that is refilling, and the Flume Trail is open. The east side has an active construction site and a drained reservoir that is waiting on its own dam.
| Place | Status as of mid-October 2026 | What changes it |
|---|---|---|
| Marlette Lake Dam | Complete, on schedule | Done |
| West side recreation, including the Flume Trail | Reopened | No route-by-route list published by State Parks |
| Marlette Lake water level | Drawn down about 20 feet for construction; recharge ongoing | Snowpack, over an estimated four to six seasons |
| Marlette trout | Relocated during construction | NDOW restocking "when conditions allow" |
| Marlette fishing season | Closed since September 30 | Reopens July 15, 2027 |
| Hobart Reservoir | Drained; closed through the 2026 summer season | Dam completion targeted for July 2027, then refill |
| Lakeview, Franktown Creek, Pipeline roads | Weekday construction-hour closures | Hobart construction schedule |
The Trailhead Is Mid-Rebuild Too
For anyone driving up from Glenbrook, the trip to the top of US 50 now passes a second construction site. At the State Route 28 junction, the Tahoe Transportation District and NDOT are building the Spooner Mobility Hub. It combines a transit hub, a park-and-ride and a permanent watercraft inspection station. According to the Tahoe Daily Tribune's October 14 corridor update, crews finished site preparation, water quality infrastructure and paving for the 250-space parking area this season. Next season brings the restrooms, the transit shelter, the boat inspection facility and a crosswalk to Spooner Lake State Park.
NDOT's project page says access to Spooner Lake State Park stays open during the work. Drivers can expect periodic 35-mph work zones and brief flagger stops for trucks, and NDOT anticipates periodic lane or road closures during the 2027 construction season. The hub is planned to open first in summer. NDOT is still exploring whether it will operate in winter.
The park's own entry fee hasn't changed. State Parks lists day use at $10 per vehicle, or $15 for vehicles registered outside Nevada. Park hours are sunrise to sunset all year.
Winter Up Top Is Still Unscheduled
The trails reopened at the end of the hiking season, so the next question is what winter looks like. The answer isn't settled. The Spooner Lake page from Nevada State Parks describes free, community-supported grooming, when snow permits, on Spooner Meadow and up North Canyon toward Marlette Lake. Nevada Nordic's Spooner page says grooming there is directed and run by State Parks, and that the group will support operations "if and when" State Parks restarts grooming. Neither page gives a 2026–27 schedule or a start date.
Overnight stays are off the table until spring. The four-person Spooner Lake Cabin and the two-person Wildcat Cabin are listed as available May 1 through October 15, so both closed for the season the week before this post published.
If your Glenbrook home comes with the Spooner backcountry as a back door, that access is part of its value, and it's worth knowing which parts are open and when the rest are due back. The Brassie Group tracks these timelines on the Nevada side so our clients can talk about their property with the same detail. Let's talk about your highest possible return.
