Truckee River Fly Fishing Report November 19, 2021
We certainly could use some more precipitation in the Tahoe area, but in the short term the sunny weather in this week’s forecast should make for some pleasant days on the water regardless of where you choose to fish. Don’t forget that the California Regulations for fishing have now changed and the majority of our rivers and creeks which fall under general regulations and previously closed on November 15th are now open throughout the winter months for catch and release using barbless flies or lures. This is an exciting change, and we are certainly looking forward to exploring some new winter waters over the next few months. Please be sure to refer to the current California fishing regulations before you go to make sure you are fishing in an open area as there will be a few exceptions. If you have any questions on these changes, we are happy to help, give us a call or stop in the shop if you are unsure about a particular body of water.
Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast
Flow on the Truckee River dropped more this week, and down at the Farad gauge, we’ve seen flows drop over 150 CFS in less than a week (from 450 to 277 today). These fluctuating flows will oftentimes slow the fishing down until we see some stabilization for a few days. While the streamer fishing has slowed as water drops and the river runs clear, the nymph bite remains steady and using both indicators or tight line set up’s continue to be the best bet. With the current conditions we recommend using smaller, more natural flies right now such as BWO nymphs and midges, as the larger attractor nymphs such as stones, worms and eggs will become less effective. Dropping your tippet diameter to a 4x or 5x will be best as well when fishing smaller flies in clear water. Most sections of the river have been fishing well but we have been having the best luck from the Glenshire area down to the Nevada state line and even into western Reno.
Little Truckee River Fishing Report and Forecast
Conditions on the Little Truckee have remained the same over the last couple of weeks and the water there is holding at 30 CFS, despite the last major rain event. Fishing on the LT has been a little spotty from week to week so having a good fly selection is a must for a successful outing. Using dries (both adults and emergers) as well as dry dropper set ups have been best with the low water and 6x tippet is preferred. Some days we are seeing some good hatches of BWO’s and other days not so much, so be sure to have a good selection of dries and nymphs to cover a variety of situations. The main bugs out here will be BWO’s and midges as well as worms and eggs, but the sizes, shape and color of your fly pattern can make all the difference here.
Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing Report and Forecast
While the bite on the river slows, the action at Pyramid has been heating up. Cold nights have been bringing surface temps down and fish are being found in 10-12 feet of water most of the day now. Indicator fishing has been working better than stripping streamers this week and the balanced leech bite is on! We’ve seen catch rates continue to go up for shore anglers and 6-8 fish days are now a possibility. We had luck on a variety of leech colors this week and the biggest factors seemed to be size of the fly as well as depth. Small and sparce seems to be working best for us and the colors we’ve been using have varied from black and purple to white depending mostly on the current lighting. Most beaches have been fishing well as the fish here tend to be very migratory, but we’ve been hearing exceptional reports at the following: Warrior Point, Spider Point, Pelican, Blockhouse and Sandhole. Sometimes however, choosing a no-name beach or an area with few or no other anglers can make for some exceptional days, so don’t be afraid to explore, there’s fish everywhere in this lake!
All in all, this is an exciting time to fly fish before the snow makes things tougher. In the shop, we are well stocked for the holidays having received some big deliveries this week. Whew! Since we can fish all winter now, consider some waders or boots that will help keep you warm as temps drop.
Miles and the TCO crew
Read our 4-part series about fishing at Pyramid Lake