Blue Wings & Skwalas & Spawn
We have another window of opportunity with low wind and sunny days on the water before we hit another cold/stormy couple days. Sunday, the wind is going to pick up good and shut most things down through Tuesday of next week, but look for overcast days and lowered flows through next week while temps stay low. Look for hatches of BWOs and some sporadic skwalas coming off the water. Watch for redds, don’t fish them, or else.
All Lake Tahoe Tributaries Closed until Saturday preceding Memorial Day.
East Fork Carson River: I don’t think we’re going to see the usual run-off mega spike on the charts this year. It’s been funny weather patterns. Flows are below a 1000 which is high, but we’re still getting reports of fish around in the slow water on nymphs. A lot of stocked fish still around and above Hangman’s. Target the slow water at the edges if you do venture out here and be careful wading out too far at these flows. Pat’s Rubber Legs and Perdigon Jigs have been on the menu with the special being a San Juan or Squirmy Red Worm.
East Carson River Fishing Regulations:
Above Hangman’s Bridge to Carson Falls: Artificial lures only. 2 Trout - Minimum size limit: 14 inches total length.
Below Hangman’s Bridge: Artificial lures only. 2 Trout - Minimum size limit: 14 inches total length.
West Fork Carson River: The WC continues to fish well in the meadow and pocket water downstream of Picketts Junction. Small Red Copper Johns are a must to carry on this river and a light nymph rig is the most productive. For the next few days before the weather arrives, you can have some fun on small dries or dry dropper rigs just after noon, so be on the water and ready with those dries.
Truckee River: The flows have dropped a couple hundred CFS but still high around 750. This doesn’t mean the fish have gone anywhere and might actually settle in places with the drop. Early afternoon hatches for BWOs can be found. Sections upstream from Flycasters through Glenshire have been productive. Work edges and slow water with perdigons, small baetis, and bwo patterns. Nymphs have been the name of the game but if you start to see bugs coming off, be ready with some small single dries to throw at noses.
Truckee River Fishing Regulations:
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: Artificual Lures and Flies. Two Trout.
Little Truckee River: Fishing pressure has been kinda light for how well the LT is fishing. Most anglers are finding fish on each parking beat and flowing at 220 CFS can be a fun time. Take advantage of the sunny days in the forecast before the wind and weather close it down for next week. If you don’t mind the wind, then it’s a good time to go as well because you’ll probably have shots to yourself in many sections. The sun brings out the crowds here. BWO hatches after noon, small baetis bugs and don’t be afraid to get dirty with a weighted worm. This is a heavy spawn time and section of water so mind the redds (read the signs) and fish with integrity.
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: California is open and the anglers are there. The EW is primed this time of year and the crowds know this. Steamer eats are still happening and takes are coming quick with a well-placed fly. As it did last cold snap, this river will probably go quiet with the wind and dropped temps, but the next few days should be good. Skwala patterns, dark/olive or dark/amber size 12 and 14.
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: Pretty much winding down as far as our reports go. Fish are moving out and a float tube is probably going to be more productive than shore. 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: Fish for big browns from a float tube near the damn.
Sawmill Lake - OPEN! Open for walk-in only. The road is still closed but the bite is hot!
Pyramid Lake - Float tubing or from a boat is going to be better than shore.
Lower Blue Lake - Roads closed
Caple’s Lake- Thawing out quickly.
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
Heenan Lake - Closed until September.
