Truckee River Fishing Report: 04/18/24 The cold front slowed things down some but the water is warming again and it should be very good soon. We continue to get a few good reports from customers catching good numbers of trout. The stream has constant flows and good hatches taking place. Light green and red, or blood midges, Skwala stoneflies, Little Black Caddis, and size 18 Blue-winged olives are hatching. Our sculpin streamers are also working good.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Tailwater
Species
Rainbow Trout {Wild and Stocked)
Brown Trout (Wild and Stocked)
Size
Varies from Small to Large
Location
Eastern Sierras
Nearest Towns
Truckee
Season
Last Sat. of April through Nov. 15
Special Regulations:
Catch and Release section that
requires barbless artificial only.
Access:
Easy to Difficult Depending on the
Area
Non-Resident License
State of California
Weather
National Weather Service Link
USGS Realtime Streamflow Data:
Seasons:
The general trout season is from the last Saturday in April through November 15.
Spring:
Springtime is usually tough fishing conditions but it depends on the discharges of the associated tailwaters and tributaries.
Summer:
Summertime is the best time to fish the high Sierras. Just after runoff ends through the Summer is the best period
of time.
Fall:
Fly fishing the Truckee River during the early Fall can also be productive.
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
4, 5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 to 12 ft., 5 or 6X Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Supreme Four, Superb Five
or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 4/5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2016 James Marsh
Fly Fishing On The Truckee River In California (Nevada)
The 120 mile long Truckee River flows from Lake Tahoe in California, through a section of the High Sierra Nevada, to terminate in Pyramid Lake. Strategies for fly fishing the Truckee River in California and Nevada, varies depending on the section of the river you’re fishing. It’s generally divided into three sections that are quite different. Check back often. We update the Truckee River fishing report weekly.
The first section runs from Lake Tahoe to Trout Creek. It is heavily stocked and follows the California general trout fishing season. This section also receives water from several tributary streams. The upper section generally stays clear when the lower sections of the river are muddy. It’s also a popular white-water rafting area and in the Summer you have to fish early in the day to prevent being constantly interrupted by rafters. The lower end of this section is easily accessible from highway #89 and more moderate in decline.
Section two runs from Trout Creek to the discharge from Boca Reservoir, or the Little Truckee River. Most of this section is a designated Wild Trout stream. Fly fishing the Truckee River in this section is considered the best choice by most serious anglers. The river has a good population of both rainbows and browns. Except for two fish over 15 inches that may be taken, regulation are “Catch and Release” and “Barbless hooks only”. The lower end of this section, from Prosser Creek to the Little Truckee River confluence, has cooler water during the hot Summer and is preferred over the upper part during the warm part of the season.
The third section runs from the Boca tailwater confluence to the Nevada state line. This section generally has larger trout but it’s more difficult to fish. The water is deeper and ranges from difficult to impossible to wade. Access is also limited.
The Truckee River was once the home of the Lahontan Cutthroat. The state has started a program to reintroduce these trout and hopefully there will be a viable fishery for them in the future.
The Truckee River has excellent hatches of mayflies, caddisflies and stoneflies. Dry fly fishing can be great in some areas but much of the river is best fished with nymphs and streamers.
Beginning in May you will find Brown duns and March Browns. Different species of Blue-winged olives, mostly baetis, hatch just about every month of the season. Mahogany Duns hatch from May into July. Small Western Green drakes, or Flavs, hatch in June and July. Pale Morning Duns hatch from May through July. Green Drakes hatch from May into the first of July. Dark Red Quills hatch from May into July.
Caddisflies consist of Spotted Sedges and Green Sedges that hatch from May into September. Short-horned caddis hatch from May through July. Little Black Caddis hatch from June into August and October Caddis in September and October.
You will also find scuds which are available for the trout year-round. Sculpin are very plentiful and you will need streamers imitating them year-round.
During the summer months you should have imitations of ants, beetles and grasshoppers.
Truckee River Fly Fishing Report:
12/01/20 We are getting more good
reports. Midges and BWOs are hatching
good and our streamers are still getting
some good fish.
12/20/20 Good numbers of trout are
being caught by our customers. There are
good midge hatches taking place. Our
blood midge, red, are working great.
01/01/21 We received a couple of good
reports from customers. Good hatches
and our sculpin streamers are working.
01/15/21 Conditions remain good. Good
BWO, midge and winter stonefly hatches.
A good choice of streams to fish.
01/28/21 The stream is down a little
below normal levels but we have been
getting some very good reports.
02/11/21 Stream levels are still a little
below normal but trout are being caught
on Midges, BWOs and Winter stoneflies
in good numbers.
03/05/21 The river is still low but trout
are still being caught in good numbers.
Hatches are taking place. Shoot us an
email for a recommended fly list.
03/20/21 New hatches of March Browns,
Little Black caddis and Skwala stoneflies
are taking place. We continue to get
good reports from customers.
04/23/21 We are getting some good reports from customers. Trout are being caught in good numbers. Some very good hatches are taking place.
05/03/21 Excellent hatches of Pale Morning Duns, Blue-winged olives, spotted sedge caddis, and other insects. We are getting some good reports.
05/11/21 We are getting very good reports from customers. The stream levels are low and you need to use caution in places to prevent spooking the trout. Dry fly fishing is excellent.
05/20/21 The river is still in good shape except for the low water conditions. Trout are being caught by our customers in good numbers. Give us a call or email us for an undated fly and gear list.
05/27/21 The stream levels are in good shape and we are getting some very good reports. There are multiple hatches taking place and dry fly fishing is excellent.
06/04/21 The stream levels are low but the “catching” is still very good. We continue to get good reports thanks to the good hatches taking place.
06/16/21 The stream is still turning out some good catches for our customers. There are very good hatches taking place. Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations.
06/28/21 We have a lot of customers fishing the river and we are getting good reports from them. There are good hatches taking place and terrestrials such as Carpenter ants, Japanese beetles and hoppers are working good.
07/10/21 Little change has taken place this past week except we got even more good reports from customers fishing the stream. All sections are turning out good numbers of trout. Good hatches continue to take place.
07/17/21 The stream is still low but good numbers of trout are being caught by our customers. You need to stay as low and hidden as you can from the trout. Using Perfect Flies will increase your odds of success.
07/24/21 More good reports came in this past week. Good hatches are still taking place and our terrestrials are working.
08/01/21 This stream is still a top ranked destination with all the hot weather, low water conditions most everywhere.
08/10/21 We continue to get good reports from the upper sections of the river in spite of the hot air temperatures. There are still plenty hatching insects.
08/17/21 More good reports came in from customers fishing the river this past week. Stream levels are not great but okay.
08/25/21 We continue to get good reports from customers. Stay low and hidden and you can catch plenty. Good hatches are still taking place.
09/03/21 The stream levels are still low but cool enough near the dams to continue to produce some good catches for our customer. Good hatches continue.
09/11/21 Stream levels are still low as you may have expected. We did receive a good report from a customer fishing yesterday. Good hatches continue including lots of spotted sedge, and Little Sister caddis among others.
09/19/21 The stream is still low. We are continuing to get some good reports from customers in spite of the low levels. You just have to use caution to not spook the trout.
09/28/21 Sorry for the miss dated reports. Conditions are fair and we are getting a couple of good reports a week from customers. Good hatches continue to take place. BWOs are coming on strong.
10/11/21 The river is in okay shape and we are getting more good reports from customers. Good fall hatches are taking place but the duration of the hatch time is short and most trout are being taken below the surface.
10/20/21 There is lots of rain in the area and will continue to be for the next week. Low stream levels will be coming up fast. You may have to give it a little time to settle down but this is what is needed.
11/01/21 The stream level is down to normal and the river in good shape. We have received three good reports from customers this past week.
11/08/21 The stream has dropped to below normal level again but okay. We are still getting good reports. Mahogany duns, Blood midges, BWOs are hatching.
11/16/21 The catch and keep season ended yesterday but the catch and release season is open. We received two good reports from customers fishing yesterday. Stream levels are near normal.
11/24/21 Two more good reports have come in this past week from customers. Conditions are good.
12/04/21 Stream levels are low but we still received two good reports from customers. Midges, BWOs, aquatic worms, scuds and other Perfect Flies are working.
12/12/21 The stream is still low but as usual, we are still getting some good reports from customers.
12/20/21 The recent cold weather and snow has slowed the action down some but more so for the anglers themselves than the fish.
12/28/21 We didn’t get any reports this past week we think due to the cold weather and snow as well as the holiday.
01/05/22 The river is in okay shape. We received one good report from a customer this past week. There are good blood midge hatches taking place.
01/13/22 The stream is still flowing a little below normal level in good shape. We received three good reports from customers fishing this past week. Our blood midges and articulated sculpin streamers are working good.
01/21/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week.
01/29/22 Good midge and BWO hatches continue to help anglers catch decent numbers of trout mostly on the nymph and larvae stages but some on top.
02/06/22 More good reports came in this past week. Conditions are fairly good. Good midge hatches are taking place.
02/14/22 We received three good reports. Some fish were caught on the dry fly (BWO duns) this past week. The weather is nice and it should be a good week ahead.
02/22/22 We received one good report from a customer fishing this past week. Conditions remain good. Good blood midge and Blue-winged olive hatches continue to take place.
03/02/22 The river is still turning out good catches for our customers. Stream levels are just a little below normal. Good hatches are taking place including March Browns.
03/10/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week. Good hatches are taking place.
03/18/22 The river continues to turn out good catches. There are lot of hatching insects including Little Black caddis, Blue-winged olives, and other insects.
03/26/22 The river is in very good shape and good numbers of trout are being caught by our customers. There are good hatches taking place in the excellent weather.
04/03/22 Excellent conditions exist. There are some big hatches taking place. The water is warmer and you can expect some good dry fly fishing to take place.
04/11/22 We received three good reports from customers fishing this past week. Great hatches are taking place and good numbers of trout are being caught.
04/19/22 The stream is still in okay shape and turning out some good catches. Good hatch continue to occur. Dry fly fishing is good. Stream levels are just a little above normal levels.
04/27/22 More good reports have come in this past week. Good hatches continue to take place.
05/05/22 Stream levels are up a little above normal level but still just fine. There are multiple hatches taking place and dry fly fishing is very good.
05/13/22 Lots of PMDs are hatching along with several other insects. We continue to get good reports from customers. Use Perfect Flies that look like the real things and watch your success increase.
05/21/22 The stream is still turning out good numbers of trout for our customers. Good hatches continue to come off.
05/29/22 The stream levels are still a little above normal and the water mostly clear. We continue to get good reports from customers fishing the stream. This coming week should be another good one.
06/06/22 Stream levels are okay and we are still getting some good reports from customers fishing the stream. Good hatches continue to come off.
06/13/22 The stream is flowing near a normal level and in good shape. We continue to get good reports from customers fishing it.
06/20/22 Good conditions continue to exist. The river is just a little above normal level and clear. Very good hatches are taking place.
06/27/22 We received two good reports from customers. Excellent PMD hatches are taking place among several other insects.
07/04/22 Terrestrial like our carpenter ants, Japanese beetles and Green sandwich hoppers are also starting to work good. Good hatches also continue including Tricos.
07/11/22 The stream is flowing a little above normal level in good shape. There are good hatches and we continue to get good reports from customers.
07/18/22 The stream is in good shape with good hatches. We are getting good reports from customers.
07/25/22 The stream is warm, too warm for good fishing opportunity and for the trout.
08/01/22 The warm water not only stresses the trout, it makes the harder to catch because they become sluggish from the low dissolved oxygen content of the water. There is rain on the way and hopefully, that will be a big help.
08/08/22 The conditions are some better but still not very good. We suggest holding off until it improves.
08/15/22 The river is better since it recently received some needed rain. We still recommend fishing the canyon area where it is slightly cooler. Good hatches continue to take place.
08/23/22 We received two good reports from customers fishing recently. Don’t overlook spinner falls of Tricos or the egg laying events of the spotted sedge caddis.
08/30/22 Trout are still being caught but it is slow due to warm water temps. Suggest you only fishing in the morning.
09/14/22 The water temperature us down a little and you should be able to catch trout. Let us hear from you.
09/21/22 The stream is in a little better conditions than last week. The water is a little cooler and trout can be caught and released safely in most sections.
10/07/22 The stream can still get a little too warm during the hottest part of the day. Fish early morning and late, late afternoons. Tricos, little BWOs and spotted sedge caddis are hatching.
10/19/22 The river is in okay shape and we are getting more good reports from customers – three this past week. Good late season hatches are taking place but the duration of the hatch time is short and most trout are being taken below the surface.
11/06/22 Excellent conditions. Rain and snow has greatly improved the water and trout are being caught by our customers in very good numbers.
11/23/22 The stream is still turning out good numbers and sizes of trout for our customers. Midges and little BWOs are hatching. Sculpin streamers are working good.
12/07/22 We are getting more good reports. Midges and Blue-winged olives, and little black caddis are hatching good and our streamers are still getting some good fish.
01/01/23 Stream levels have been falling and are near normal and improving. Good winter hatches are taking place.
02/08/22 Stream levels are and trout are being caught
on Midges, BWOs and Winter stoneflies in good numbers.
02/16/22 Stream levels are high but okay. Trout are being caught by our customers. There are good hatches of cream and light Green midges and small BWOs.
03/18/23 Conditions are not good. The stream levels are high and the water heavily stained. Give it some time.
03/28/23 The river is back in okay shape. We haven’t received any reports yet, but you should be able to catch trout.
04/08/23 Stream levels are just a little below a normal level and the river in good shape. We haven’t received any good report yet, so let us hear from you. You should be able to catch trout.
04/21/23 The river has been and still is high from runoff but dropping and clearing. Give it three or four more days and it should be good.
04/28/23 The flows have continued to decrease and the water continues to get clearer. The upper river is down and clear. We received our first good report from a customer fishing there.
05/08/23 Conditions are good. We received three good reports from customers fishing recently. Good hatches are taking place.
05/19/23 Pale Morning Duns are hatching good along with several other insects. We continue to get good reports from customers. Use Perfect Flies that look like the real things and watch your success increase.
05/29/23 Flows are back up high again. Give it some time to drop and clear.
06/09/23 The stream levels are still high. Give it some more time to drop and clear.
06/17/23 We still cannot recommend fishing it. It is slowly dropping and clearing.
06/28/23 The flows are still very high and the water very dingy. Give it some more time to drop and clear.
07/07/23 The stream is down a not not far from normal or the best levels. We received three good catch reports from customers. Very good hatches are taking place. You should match the hatch closely.
07/15/23 The stream is still a little below normal level in good shape. Good hatches continue to come off. We received two more good reports from customers fishing the past week.
07/23/23 The stream is still in good shape with good hatches taking place. We received three good reports from customers fishing the main river last week.
08/02/23 The stream is still turning out good catches for our customers. Hatches of PMDs, spotted sedge caddis, tricos, speckled wing quills and others are taking place.
08/08/23 The stream is quite low but still okay. Very good hatches are taking place. We received two more good reports from customers fishing this past week.
08/18/23 The flows are still low but it hasn’t affected the “catching” that much. There are still good hatches coming off.
08/25/23 The stream is still low, lower than last week. Good hatches continue to take place. We received two good reports from customers.
09/01/23 Stream levels are low but the stream is still turning out some nice trout. Good late season hatches continue to come off. We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week.
09/08/23 The stream is still very low but you can still catch trout if you can stay hidden from them. Good hatches are still taking place.
09/15/23 The stream is turning out some very good catches for our customers. The water is cooler and good late season hatches are taking place.
09/21/23 We continue to get a few good reports. There are few hatches but those that are hatching, especially the BWOs are plentiful.
09/28/23 Conditions are good. The water is getting a little cooler and hatches of BWOs continue to come off. We received two good reports from customers fishing this past week.
10/06/23 The stream is turning out some good catches for our customers. We received two good reports from the past week.
10/18/23 Conditions remain favorable with good number of fish being caught and we are still receiving good reports from customers.
10/27/23 Sorry for the missed report. Conditions are fairly good. We received two good reports from customers fishing recently. Lots of BWOs and Blood midges hatching.
11/06/23 Good conditions continue to exist. The stream is running below normal levels and clear. Trout are being caught in good numbers.
11/13/23 Stream levels are low but okay. We are still getting good reports. Good late season hatches are taking place.
11/20/23 The stream is flowing around 55 cfs and mostly clear. We received a couple of good catch reports from this past week. Good BWO and Midge hatches are taking place.
11/30/23 We received two more good catch reports from customers this past week. Our Cream Midges with the larva and pupa rigged in tandem are working very good.
12/11/23 Conditions remain good. Our Cream midges rigged as mentioned above are catching a lot of trout. You fish the rig under an indicator.
12/26/23 The stream was up but not blown out and it is back down near normal currently and mostly clear. You should be able to catch good numbers of trout on midges.
Send us an email at (sales@perfectflystore.com) for recommended flies and clear.