TCO Fishing Report - February 21st, 2025 for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
The weather this winter has been far from normal with very few significant storms. This has been quite a departure from the last 2 years. While we still have some time to make up for the last few months of mild weather, there is a very realistic possibility that conditions may not be great during the height of summer.
Although it’s tough to forecast this early in the year, as of now, low and warm water in the river during the months of July and August are a realistic concern. The positive thing here is the water levels at Lake Tahoe are full, which will keep the upper section of river flowing during these critical months. However, this is top fed water from the surface of Lake Tahoe, which warms up in the lake before ever even making it down to the river. Surface water release from the lake will cause warm water temps and voluntary hoot owl closures.
The water levels of reservoirs downstream look a bit less ideal, with a fair amount of water in Donner Lake and Prosser, but Stampede and Boca remain low for the season. While we are certainly in better shape than in some years past, we could most definitely use some precipitation ASAP. With the bright and sunny false spring days forecasted this week, the fishing should be great for the short term.
Fishing from now through early summer may be your best window of the year unless we are fortunate enough to get another “Miracle March” this year. So, we encourage you to make the most of these warm days and sub-par skiing conditions this week. Get out and fish!
Truckee River Fishing Report & Forecast
Since last week’s storm pushed through, we have seen the flows on the Truckee stabilize, sitting at just under 300 at Glenshire Bridge and at a bit over 500 at the Farad gauge. These are ideal flows for this time of year, and this coupled with a week of weather in the upper 50’s should really switch on the bite.
The rain brought with it a bit of tint to the water, hopefully making the fish a bit less on edge and willing to take some larger offerings. The weeks leading up to these storms, we were putting a strong emphasis on “Little Black Stuff” down to a size 20 or 22. This should have changed since this storm, but if in doubt, the smaller flies are always worth a try.
As we approach the month of March, we should begin to see the first big hatch of the year start up: The Skwala Stonefly. We have already heard reports of this bug hatching on some of the lower elevation rivers in the area, which means that the Truckee is not far off. These size 8-10 stoneflies are a double cheeseburger to a trout that’s been eating salad most of the winter. Skwalas are not only great options to fish under an indicator but can also provide some excellent topwater fishing if conditions align. We have been fishing these nymphs with moderate success over the last few weeks, but as soon as we begin to see the first few adults begin to hatch, they should be a top choice for anyone fishing the river through the spring.
Other bugs of note this week would be crayfish, little black winter stones, BWO’s and midges. Fly patterns imitating any of these aquatic insects will all be options for those heading out here in the coming weeks.
Little Truckee River Fishing Report & Forecast
As of today, the Little Truckee remains closed out due to snow on the road. While this may change with the warm days ahead, there will still likely be patches of snow and ice on the road and we don’t recommend passenger vehicles attempt to make it out here and instead focus on fishing the main river, which is in great shape.
We also feel it’s important to note the significance of giving this highly pressured fishery a break right now to give the fish and riparian habitat some time to recover before a long summer ahead.
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report & Forecast
The fishing at Pyramid was outstanding over the last week, due in part to the tail end of the storm moving through. As this high pressure system sets in this week, the bite will likely be tough, and anglers will have to get creative to find consistent fishing. When temps hit the low 60’s, the sun is high, and the wind is light, the fish are less likely to be cruising in the shallows and feeding. We have also found their visibility increases, making them much more weary of tippet and more selective on flies, further creating tough fishing conditions.
To fight these conditions, get on the water early and start fishing at the legal start time, an hour before sun-up. Your best window of opportunity will be when the sun is low and off the water. The fish will be closer to the shore and a bit more willing to bite. Start the morning with a slightly larger and darker midge pattern to provide a bigger silhouette that they can see, fish in close and shallow, and try to find those fish feeding aggressively.
As the sun pops over the hill, downsize your flies, lengthen up your depth and start fishing further and further out over the course of the day. This is the time of year to really put a strong emphasis on midges out here and the double midge rig has been putting more fish in the net recently, instead of doing the leech/midge combo. In the event you are fishing a beach with a significant drop off, leeches will still be productive so long as you fish deep, like 14 feet or so.
Overall, the strip bite has yet to pick up and we expect the bite to pick up when the water temps rise and the first of the pre-spawn fish begin to school up and come in shallow. That will probably be a few more weeks from now, unless these warm days persist.
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