Truckee Tahoe Fly Fishing Report July 2, 2021

We are continuing to see warmer than average weather here in Truckee and this, combined with the low snowpack, has driven water temps on the Truckee River to 68 degrees and above mid-day. We are now asking that those fishing the river limit your fishing to the mornings and please carry a thermometer, calling it a day when temps reach 68. If you are getting a later start to the day, consider alternatives such as one of the various lakes in our area. The bass bite at Stampede and Prosser has been great and some of the lakes at higher elevations are still providing good trout fishing. Carp fishing in the Reno area is great with this heatwave as well, and these underrated fish are incredibly weary, smart, hard-fighting and are often equated to bonefish in terms of their level of difficultness (is that a word?). Stop on in to the shop and let us run you through your options! 

Truckee River Fly Fishing Report

Although the Truckee is getting too warm mid-day, those getting an early start are being rewarded with a few hours of good fishing before the heat sets in for the day. We highly encourage you to be on the water at or near first light and fishing until 10am-11am or when water temps rise to the 68 degree mark. Please carry a thermometer if fishing the river in the coming months. The fish are looking for fast, oxygenated water, so anglers should focus mostly on any pocket water and riffles. This is where euro nymphing really shines and we recommend using a heavy weighted stonefly nymph, crawdad pattern or a streamer as your anchor fly to cut through the fast water near the surface of the river and present the fly in the softer pocket found near the bottom of the stream where the fish will be holding. We are seeing a good variety of bugs and you continue to have a number of options in terms of fly selection.

The main bugs are as follows, Golden Stoneflies, Yellow Sallies, Green Drakes, Caddis, PMD’s, and Crawdads as well as terrestrials like Ants and Grasshoppers. The fish continue to not be picky on fly selection and most bugs will work as long as anglers are using a good amount of weight, fishing the correct water and are getting a good dead drift in front of them. With fish holding in the pocket water, this will typically spread them out and covering a lot of water will become increasingly important, so fish it all even if it’s just for a couple of casts. Remember, your first cast into any given run will remain your best bet for the large fish found here, so make your casts count!

Recommended Flies for The Truckee River

Poxy Back Stones #8-#10, Riot Stones #10, Tungsten Trout Retrievers #8-#10, Iron Sallies #14-#16, Micro Poxy Back Stones #12-#14, Hunchback Green Drakes #10, OCD Caddis #14-#16, G6 Caddis #14-#16, Fox’s Poopah #16, Splitcase PMD #14-#16, TNT PMD’s #16, Jigged PMD’s #14-#16, Dead Drift Crays #8, Loco Ants #8, Carpenter Ants #8-#12, RP’s Ant #12-#14, Pheasant Tails #12-#16, Bird’s Nest #14-#16, Hare’s Ears #14-#16, San Juan Worms #12, Gummy Worms #12

Little Truckee River Fly Fishing Report

The flows on the Little Truckee have been cut from 75 CFS to 44 as of today (7/2/21). This drop will likely not help the fishing any and these spooky fish are about to get a whole lot spookier. Please consider limiting your fishing here as well as these heavily pressured fish are now dealing with the additional element of low water.  A great alternative to fishing higher up on the Little Truckee would be trying your luck at the Boca Inlet as fish from the reservoir can more easily cycle through giving you a chance at a greater population of fish. This can also provide some excellent quality of fish as the larger trout found in the lake will make their way through here. The dry fly fishing here can also be excellent in the mornings and evenings or when there is little to no wind.

Recommended Flies for The Little Truckee River

Juju Baetis #18‑#20, Anato-Mays #18-#20, WD40’s #18-#20, Zebra Midges #18-#22, Splicase PMD’s #16-#18, OCD Caddis #16, Caddistrophic Pupa #18, Flexy Floss Worms #14, RS2’s #18-#20, Silhouette Duns #16-#18, Hackle Stackers #16-#18, Carpenter Ants #8-#12, RP’s Ant #12-#14, Griffiths Gnat #18-#22, Dandelion Midge #20-#22

Tahoe Truckee Still Water Lake Fishing

The bass fishing remains steady at both Prosser and Stampede Reservoirs while the same reservoirs have had fair trout fishing in the mornings and evenings. Using an indicator set up with various attractor nymphs or balanced leeches has been working well for both species, and we recommend playing around with depth until you find consistent results (6-10 feet is a good place to start). We have been finding good populations of bass around rocky structure such as dams as well as any sandy bottom areas 20 feet deep or less. The trout will be found mostly in areas with a cool influx of water such as inlets or springs and are more likely to be in the deeper areas of the lake. While trout are mostly nomadic and love to move around, often times the bass are more stationary and walking the shoreline covering water will be best for these fish. Stripping woolly buggers or streamers will also be a good way to go for a variety of species found in lakes and we’ve found using a full sink line in a type 3-5 sink rate to be best.

If fishing one of the many hike in lakes in our area, we recommend having a 9’ 4-6 weight rod and carrying a Versaleader sink tip to add to your floating line for streamers as well as having a basic assortment of nymphs such as midge patterns and mayfly nymphs such as pheasant tails or hare’s ears. Don’t forget a few dries as well, Para Adams, Elk Hair Caddis and a few ant and grasshopper patterns is all that should be needed here. Do you have a particular body of water in mind, but are unsure how to prepare for it? Come by the shop and let us set you up for success!

Recommended Flies for still water lake fishing

Cutbait Midges #10-#12, Albino Winos #12, Ice Cream Cone Midges #10-#14, Zebra Midges #16-#18, Pheasant Tails #12-#16, Hare’s Ears #14-#16, Bird’s Nest #14-#16, Flexy Floss Worms #12-#14, San Juan Worms #12, Balanced Leeches #8-#12, Woolly Buggers #6-#12, Bellyache Minnows #12, Simiseal Leeches #12, Para Adams #12-#16, Callibaetis Spinners #12-#16, Elk Hair Caddis #14-#18, E/C Caddis #14-#18, Snowshoe Caddis #16, Carpenter Ants #8-#12, RP’s Ants #12-#14, Griffiths Gnats #18-#22, Morrish Hoppers #6-#10, Beefcake Hoppers #8-#10

Thanks again for being a part of our amazing fly fishing community. We wrapped up our Anniversary week with a bang, giving away a pile of gear last Sunday from the raffle. Thanks to everyone who came in and donated to our Truckee River Conservation Fun.

Miles and the TCO Crew

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