June 10, 2022 Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River and surrounding waters
Summer fishing is in full force this week and the combination of good flows on our streams, good weather and active fish has made for some stellar days on the water. With consistent fishing on most bodies of water in our area, we encourage you to get out and do some exploring over the next few weeks while our creeks and lakes continue to all fish well. With a little planning and know-how, our local lakes will still be great bets later in the summer, but we expect the creeks to really get skinny in just a few more weeks as the majority of the snow melt has already came and went, so enjoy it while it’s here.
Feature photo is Guide Scott Flint fishing the Big T on his day off. Photo courtesy of Jason Shields with perfect loops productions
As the days get longer and warmer, we have begun putting more effort into the warm water species in our area and the smallmouth bass, largemouth bass and carp are high on our list. The smallmouth in Prosser and Stampede are a great way to get new anglers on to fish among our otherwise very technical fisheries and can be a great way to make the most of a quick outing when you don’t have an entire day to commit to wondering the river. The largemouth found in just about any pond in Reno as well as the growing population found in lake Davis are a challenging fish on a flyrod and can be caught on streamers, poppers, and on Lake Davis, Hexagenia which will begin their emergence any day now. The carp in the greater Reno area are everything a true angler looks for in a game fish in our opinion. They get large (often over 20 pounds), they are very hard to hook, wary, and hard fighting. These fish are for those looking to up their game. Both bass and carp fishing will only get better as the warmer days progress and are absolutely worth putting in some time for, they are definitely a favorite amongst our shop.
Truckee River Fly Fishing Report & Forecast
The flows on the Truckee River have stabilized near the average level for this time of year and as we move past our spring runoff we should see water temps continue to rise making the window of good fishing switch more towards the morning hours. This will also be beneficial in terms of being the first angler of the day to run flies through any given run, especially as we come into the busiest time of year. Remember, we are open bright and early at 7 A.M., so stop on in before you head out to the water for the most up to date info.
As we progress into consistently warmer days, we’ve noticed the fish begin to move into the faster water, and fishing riffles, pocket water, and the tops of buckets will become increasingly effective. Typically the rainbows are the first to seek out the fast water, and often the browns will still be hanging back a bit, so we are still recommend fishing it all until the water temps come up further and all fish hold in one water type. We have seen a good amount of green drakes in our seines as well as PMD’s, caddis larvae, yellow sallies, golden stones, and the ever-present BWO’s are still very much on the menu. As always, the Truckee is much more about a good presentation over fly selection, so be sure to use ample weight, get your flies down to the bottom and get a good drag free drift for best results. There have been reports of some sporadic green drake hatches over the last week, and these are normally seen when stormy days are present, very short lived, and at times can only be on one section of the river. So while it would be wise to have a few of these adults in your box in case you get lucky enough to be around when they’re present, put most of your attention in the nymphs as this is what the fish are mostly looking at.
Little Truckee Fly Fishing Report & Forecast
The Little Truckee continues to flow strong at +/- 150 CFS and is fishing very well. As fishing pressure becomes more prevalent here, we encourage you to make a conscious effort to spread out along the entire river system and give other anglers their space, which in turn will benefit your fishing by targeting less pressured fish. We have seen the PMD’s really become the main hatch out here over the last week and the consistency of which these bugs come off is one of the things that makes them a favorite for the trout here, so be sure to have a good selection of pink PMD’s in size 16-18 as an adult and an emerger. While the nymphs are also a great thing to have when fishing out here, and split case PMD’s and Peaches and Cream are two must haves in your box, never discount the continued importance of BWO’s right now and fish these guys down to a size 20 as well as midges in sizes 20-22. With the current flows be sure to stop and fish all of the in between water if not for just a few casts, as a lot of the wise fish will knowingly hide in some less-than-ideal runs to avoid being targeted. These small details can turn a good day into a great day.
Local Still Water Fly Fishing
With access now open to most every lake in our area, this is one of our favorite times of year to seek out some fishing in the lakes found at the end of a long dirt road. The various lakes found around Jackson Meadows, Bowman Lake, Gold Lakes Basin and Desolation are enough to keep one busy the entire summer and the exploration as well as the fishing opportunities always make for a fun day outside. If you don’t have a full day to commit to driving around in the woods however, the lakes in our immediate area continue to fish well, as the bass bite picks up at Prosser and Stampede off of the dams, and the trout continue to hold in the inlets of various lakes. Kicking around in a float tube this time of year can be an absolute blast and can be a great way to cover water, map out shoreline and figure out locations and depths of where the fish are holding, plus it’s like fishing out of a lawn chair, about as comfortable as it gets in a day of fly fishing. We do still have a few float tubes in stock here at the shop and we expect these to sell fast this year so if you’ve been thinking about switching gears and trying some still water fishing this year stop on in and chat about your options. In the greater area the Hex hatch has begun at Almanor and we expect it to also start very soon at Davis. This is a fun, and at times frustrating, annual hatch that brings up large fish to the surface, typically during the last hour of light and into dark and is a great way to mix up your normal fish routines. Stop into the shop for beta on how to make the most of this emergence and shop our fly selection.
Hope to see you soon. Please follow us on Instagram for more updates throughout the week.
- Miles