Fall Time, Best Time
The thermometer readings have plummeted both in and out of the water which only means one thing, fall is here! Almost every river in the area has become fishable all day which means the early rise and grind is no longer a necessity. As the big fish become active once again and swap from nocturnal feeding schedules to midday, now is the time to chase those big fish that can be so hard to find in our area. Also don’t forget about the stillwater options as they can kick down some seriously awesome fishing in the fall time.
East Carson River:
Water levels are low but the fish are still there! Mostly small wild fish are being reported but who doesn’t love catching wild fish on dry flies with 3 or 4 wts. Some of the deeper buckets still have some larger fish, both wild and holdovers that are seeking out any depth they can find. To fish this river most effectively this time of year, bring both a 3 or 4 wt, as well as a 4 or 5 wt. The 3 or 4 wt have a dry fly or dry dropper rig ready to fish every little bit of depth, including in the pocket water. The 4 or 5 wt have rigged up with a nymph rig to dredge those few deep pockets. This time of year the tricos are waning and we are starting to see our fall bugs of large caddis and small BWOs.
Truckee River:
The water masters have done their job and this river is still fishing great, especially below where the Little Truckee dumps in from Boca Reservoir. If you are unfamiliar with the canyon section of the Truckee River, or even the Nevada side of things, stop by the shop for some intel or hire one of our guides that are licensed in Nevada for a real treat. The nevada side can be a little urban at times, but the fishing more than makes up for it! BWOs have started, as well as a few caddis still hatching. Nymph rigs will be most productive this time of year, especially when the BWOs are hatching and the fish are greedily eating any small bug drifting past. For the guys that love the streamer rig, now is the time to have some legitimate shots at some large fish as the browns are trying to pack on a few extra calories before they spawn, as well as large rainbows that are preparing for winter. The thing to remember when fishing streamers on the Truckee is that you still need to get that streamer deep, so sink tips, and heavy streamers work best. Also try high-sticking that streamer down into some of the deeper buckets and pockets to help it get down to the bottom.
Little Truckee River:
Another one of our favorites during the fall is the Little Truckee. The BWOs have been going off (especially on those cloudy/rainy days) and the flows have been consistent at 100 CFS which is hard to beat for this time of year. Fish emergers during the hatch as well as some adult baetis dry flies. If the bugs aren’t moving then fish midges, baetis nymphs or the good ol worm fly.
East Walker River:
Flows are transitioning into their winter time flows so don’t expect much water this time of year, but the temps are stable and the fishing is good. The water has been a bit off color recently but should clear up and once it does the fishing should be incredible. Swing small streamers and soft hackles, dead drift nymphs and crayfish, or try your luck at getting them on dry flies. It will all work!
Stillwater Options:
Fall time stillwater fishing can often rival ice-out conditions when the water cools down, and the fish are trying to pack on calories before winter. Also the weeds and algae will begin to die off so lakes like Red Lake and Indian Creek Reservoir will become fishable once again. Heenan has been the main story as it has only been open for a couple of weeks, with good numbers being reported by the guys who know the lake well and decent numbers from people still trying to figure out the lake. For a headstart on learning the lake, our guides are permitted to fish this lake and can show you some of the techniques we use to catch these large Lahontan Cutthroat trout.
Hot Lakes:
Sawmill Lake - BOOK NOW! Private Lake with large rainbows and browns
Heenan Lake - IS OPEN!
High Elevation Lakes - Stop by the shop for more information
Blue Lakes - Lower is fishing great
Prosser Reservoir - Trout and Smallmouth
Lake Baron -Stocked!
Bridgeport Reservoir - Carp time. Drop a line by the dam.
Silver Lake - Stocked!
Caple’s Lake- Chance at a big Lake Trout
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
