TCO Fishing Report – March 19, 2021
Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast
Flows out of Lake Tahoe increased to 300 cfs this week and the impact was felt on the river.. This means a couple things for anglers; more weight and it’s time to fish the “grabbier” flies like stonefly nymphs, worms and eggs. While midges and BWO nymphs will always catch fish this time of year, the bigger bugs are a good way to grab the bigger fishes’ attention as long as you can get a good drag free drift in front of them. The Skwalas are continuing to hatch off sporadically and we are hearing of only a few successful days on these dries as of now. We predict the next time we see a few days with air temps in the mid 50’s to 60’s these bugs will really move around more and we recommend being prepared with some good imitations for when this happens as it could be make for some great dry action on these large stoneflies.
With this current rise in flows and the recent change in fishing regulations opening up the upper river to catch and release fishing, now is a good time to explore some of the less fished sections of river in search of that big fish eating its meals carefree for most of the winter. Overall, the entire river is fishing well, and we highly encourage you to get some exploring in this spring and try a new section of river. Doing this will be a great way to make yourself a more well-rounded angler and will more evenly spread fishing pressure from of the main access points keeping fishing better on the river as a whole.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Pat’s Rubberlegs in brown or olive #8-#10, Tungsten Trout Retrievers in brown #8, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, San Juan Worms in red or pink #12, Flexy Floss Worms in red or pink #12, Unreal eggs in peach or pink #12, Glowbugs in orange or pink #14, Juju Baetis #16-#18, Zebra Midges in red or black #16-#18, Pheasant Tails #16-#18, Prince Nymphs #14-#18, Birds Nest in olive #14-#16, Hares Ears in natural or olive #14-#16, Para Madam X’s in black #8-#10, Stimulators in black #8-#10, Para Baetis #16-#18, BWO Hackle Stackers #16-#18.
Little Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast
Intermittent snowstorms over the last week has kept access to the upper sections of the Little Truckee limited to the few adventurous folks with high-clearance 4x4 vehicles. If you are planning to fish back here be prepared with a few basics (Snow Shovels, Tow Strap, Cell Phone, Etc.) as people are still getting stuck in one particular area. Also keep in mind the cell service is limited here and if you get stuck by yourself there will be a long walk out to make a phone call. The Boca Inlet remains accessible however, and the fishing here has been very good. The lake levels continue to rise as the Little Truckee puts in 153 CFS and the releases at the dam are only 66. This will make the structure you fish in the inlet ever-changing and unpredictable, so before you start fishing take a second to read the water and position yourself accordingly. This has been a popular spot to fish as of late so please be courteous of other anglers giving them plenty of space. These fish do tend to be pretty spooky and can stop rising at the first sign of humans so its good to be at least a little stealthy for both other anglers and for yourself. Dry fly fishing has been good here using a mix of BWO’s, Midges and Skwala Stones. The Skwalas will also make for a good dry dropper option for those fishing feeding on emergers just below the surface. Overcast days with mild winds will be the best time to fish dries here and the indicator, dry dropper or streamers will be a good approach when no noses are seen.
Flies for the Little Truckee River:
Pat’s Rubberlegs in brown or olive #10-#12, Skipper Stone Skwala #10, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, San Juan Worms in red or pink #12, Flexy Floss Worms in red or pink #12, Glowbugs in orange or pink #14, Unreal Eggs in peach or pink #12, Zebra Midges In red or black #18-#22, Juju Baetis #18-#20, Split Case BWO’s in #18, Olive Mic Drops #18-#20, RS2’s in olive or gray #18-#20, Para BWO’s in #18-#20, BWO Hackle Stackers #18-#20, Mole Flies in BWO #18-#20, Griffiths Gnats in #18-#22, Palomino Midges in red or black.
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report and Forecast
The good days continue to be good here while the slow days … well, the slow days are pretty darn tough. The biggest factor seems to be the weather, if you can keep an eye on the weather forecast and time your trip here during a low-pressure system your odds will go way up. The fish definitely seemed to be keying in more and more on the midges as spring conditions continue on but don’t discount the streamers or balanced leeches just yet! We are getting reports of pretty consistent fishing for most of the beaches on the north end of the lake while the southern beaches have been a little hit or miss as of late. The fish have been active at different times day to day and to get the most our of your day here we recommend fishing from sun up to sun down. Read more about how to fish at Pyramid on our website, the 4-part series.
Recommended Flies for Pyramid Lake:
Albino Wino #10, Moo Midges in wine or red #8, Pyramid Beach Leeches in olive or black #8, Moo Minnows #8, Midnight Cowboys #6, Estaz Woolly Worms in pearl or chartreuse/black #6, Pyramid Beetles In chartreuse/white or black #8, Booby Flies in chartreuse/white #8
At the shop, we’re getting in new inventory every week in preparation for an exciting spring fishing season. New products are coming in from most of our brands as they sold out of many items in 2020 and have just started catching up to the demand. It’s fun to see and we plan on starting some reviews this spring too.
Tight lines! ~ Miles