June 17, 2022 Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River region
With one small day of unsettled weather expected tomorrow and then right back to normal weather patterns through the next week, we have seen these prolonged spring conditions really help with the lack of snow seen this winter. Water temps are still hovering in the mid 50’s on the river and flows remains stable. Needless to say, the trout have been reacting very positively to this, and the fishing remains good along most sections of the Truckee, The Little Truckee and our local creeks as we come into the longest days of the year.
All the while, the backcountry lakes are all open and accessible and can be an option for a unique day trip or weekend outing for other species such as brook trout, Lahontan cutthroat, and golden trout. While normally this time of year is also good for the smallmouth found in the reservoirs, these fish have been seemingly less active with the cooler weather patterns as of late, but they are still showing up and can be a great way to get a quick couple of hours in on the water.
Truckee River Fly Fishing Report and Forecast
We have seen a very good variety of bugs present on the river and fly selection can at times be overwhelming. With the abundance of options, we recommend using a ‘seine’ when first stepping into the river to see what bugs are most present where you’re fishing. Flipping rocks works as well but it doesn’t necessarily show what’s actually in the drift and the what the fish are seeing come downstream.
The last time we were on the Truckee we saw Green Drakes, March Browns, Caddis, PMD’s, BWO’s, Yellow Sallies, Skwalas and Golden Stones among others, and what the river lacks in dry fly hatches it makes up for in abundance in food found subsurface. So stick with nymphing using either an indicator or a euro set up for now. The fish have begun to move into faster water more consistently now and less effort should be put on the tailouts and slow deep water found in pools and instead focus more on the riffles, pocket water, and tops of pools for best results. Mid-mornings have seemed to be the best window for fishing as of late and getting an early start will be increasingly beneficial in the coming weeks. With the continued cool weather and water temps, anglers are still finding some nice fish on streamers, especially those willing to ride it out until dark and take advantage of these long days.
Little Truckee Fly Fishing Report and Forecast
The Little Truckee sits at 150 CFS still and we are so happy to see the flows continue to be this good through the month of June. The dry fly bite has become increasingly consistent with the PMD’s being the main course and a caddis hatch now showing up for dessert for those willing to stick it out until dark. As these fish see more and more angling pressure, we recommend doing your part to spread out and give other anglers plenty of space. We highly encourage you to make it a point to fish here mid-week, early in the mornings or late in the day and try different areas of the river that see fewer anglers. This will help spread out angling pressure, keep both the fish and the fishers happy and, we believe, will give you a better shot at a trophy fish as the bigger, wiser fish often look for inconspicuous areas to tuck away in and often wait until odd hours of the day to let their guard down. For those looking to toss some nymphs out here, we recommend using a euro set up to be able to effectively pick apart the many seams the fish can hide in on this water and this style of fishing can also be a stealthier way to present to these fish, as they’ve probably seen a bright orange bobber or two in their day.
Local Still Water Fishing Report
Our local lakes have also seemed to benefit from this colder-than-average spring thus far and shore fishing or float tubing our various lakes has been great and a good way to find solitude on the water as we come into the busiest time of year in Truckee. As most of the snowpack has melted at this point, all of the backcountry lakes are accessible, and these higher elevations are going to make for some stellar trout fishing this time of year. While we are hesitant to name specific locations here on our report, we are more than happy to talk with you about your various options at the shop. There are truly hundreds of lakes within an hour of Truckee containing good trout fishing, and we’ve fished our share, so stop in and let us steer you in the right direction!
In the shop today, Friday the 17th, we are kicking off our Anniversary Event. We’re doing a customer appreciation raffle all week, raising funds for our friends at Clean up the Lake. And we also are giving away our Camp Mugs with a minimum purchase, we have a 40% off Clearance Rack, and more deals in store. Saturday and Sunday, we’re serving donuts on the morning too. Hope you can come in and see us this weekend.
Photos courtesy of Jason Shields at Perfect Loop Productions
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