A Favorite Time of Year
Take full advantage of this window before runoff really gets started. The fish are hungry after a cold and dry winter, and seem to be eating all day to make up for it. Streamers, nymphs, dries have all been working on pretty much every river in the area. Lakes are starting to ice off, or are already free of ice and big fish are being caught. Get out and fish.
All Lake Tahoe Tributaries Closed until Saturday preceding Memorial Day.
TROUT REGULATIONS ON RIVERS ARE STILL CATCH AND RELEASE, BARBLESS, ARTIFICIAL UNTIL APRIL 26TH. .
East Fork Carson River: The path less beaten is fishing the best on the E. Fork at the moment, but still some fish being found in the easy access sections. Be mindful of the flows as they are starting to creep up from runoff, but with the cooler weather coming in, the river should still be fishable for the foreseeable future. Think attractor nymphs and streamers with the higher flows and potentially off colored waters. Blowtorches, Pat’s Rubber legs with orange beads, bright wooly buggers, bright worm and big egg patterns are good options.
West Fork Carson River: A fun spring time option when there’s water. The fish tend to spread out and come back into the meadow sections during the spring melt, so look for beautiful wild fish throughout hope valley and the canyon leading into Woodfords.
East Carson River Winter Fishing Regulations:(starting Nov. 16th)
Above Hangman’s Bridge: Catch & Release Barbless Artificial - NO BAIT. Zero Bag limit.
Below Hangman’s Bridge: Catch & Release Barbless Artificial - NO BAIT. Zero Bag limit.
Truckee River: The cloudy days have been producing some of the best BWO hatches we’ve seen in a long time and the fish have been responding. Some good dry fly days with excellent nymphing in between are being reported. Runoff is starting so check the flow gages before heading out, and be prepared for some higher water than usual with bigger indicator and splitshot, or heavier flies. Skwala stoneflies have also been starting, so dry dropper rigs blind casted into fishy looking water could produce an awesome fish on a big dry fly. No matter the nymph rig I’m throwing right now, I have an imitative Blue Wing Olive with a dark wing case on. Other flies are attractor euro-flies, stoneflies, and bigger mayfly imitations as the March browns start to come off.
Truckee River Fishing Regulations:(starting Nov. 16th)
Below Lake Tahoe Dam:(All Year) Closed for 1000’ below Lake Tahoe Dam.
Below 1000’ of the Tahoe Dam to Trout Creek:Catch & Release Barbless Artificial - NO BAIT. Zero Bag limit.
Trout Creek to Mouth of Prosser Creek: Catch & Release Barbless Artificial Flies only. Zero Bag limit.
Prosser Creek to NV Stateline: Catch & Release Barbless Artificial. Zero Bag limit.
Little Truckee River: Not many reports from the Little Truckee probably because most of us have been enjoying the main Truckee so much, but I imagine it’s fishing pretty well sitting at the perfect flow of 150 CFS. Light tippet, small bugs, and a midday blue wing hatch are expected.
Little Truckee River Fishing Regulations:(All Year)
Stampede Reservoir downstream to Boca Reservoir: Catch & Release Barbless Artificial - NO BAIT. Zero Bag limit.
East Walker River: Flows are great, but some decent foot traffic since Nevada is the only section open until April 26th. We went down there a week ago and small streamers with a soft hackle behind it swung downstream, starting at the top of the run and taking a couple steps each pass was working best. I tried a Skwala dropper rig, and got a few on the dropper and one on the Skwala but still felt a little cold and early for the big dry fly. We’re really looking forward to the California side opening up and will be fishing this river regularly so give us a call with any questions.
East Walker River Fishing Regulations:(starting Nov. 16th)
Below Bridgeport Reservoir to Nevada Stateline: Fully Closed in California until April 26th. Open in Nevada. Catch and release, artificial, single hook only from Stateline to the Elbow. Below the Elbow, general regulations.
Stillwater Options: The spring madness is going on at Pyramid with somedays popping off and others a lot of casting with not many fish. The only thing that’s consistent is the morning bite. Get up early, try to get a good spot, and take full advantage of the first few hours of daylight. Stripping boobies and unweighted buggers/wooly worms is a fun way to fish the spring bite, but shallow chironomid rigs will work as well. Spider to the South nets are generally the beaches you want to be at in the spring.
Other lakes have begun fishing well, and the higher elevation lakes will begin thawing soon. Shore fishing from Tahoe, Caples, Silver Lake can potentially produce the fish of a lifetime this time of year.
Hot Lakes:
Bridgeport Reservoir: Closed until last Saturday in April
Sawmill Lake - Closed until May. Reach out about season and mini passes for the 2025 season.
Pyramid Lake - Shore bite picking up especially on stormy days, look for 10-15 MPH wind and cloudy conditions. Lots of big fish caught this year, get out there!
Lower Blue Lake - Roads closed
Caple’s Lake- Will begin to thaw soon.
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
Heenan Lake - Closed until September.
