Spring Run Off
Continuing warm temperatures has put us into full blown runoff, but the good news is that most of our rivers are still completely fishable. Fish heavy and deep, and you should have some success whether it be with nymphs or streamers. Once the flows begin to subside and the water clears up, this is often one of the better times of the year to fish a river.
East Carson River:
Flows are high and the water a bit off colored, but fish are being found in the deep buckets and soft water along the edges. Streamer fishing, euro nymphing or traditional indicator nymphing with extra split shot has been catching some fish. If you have interest in floating the river, as soon as it clears up, it’s go time. The float is 27 miles long and is best broken up into two days of fishing and one night of camping. It is doable in a day but make sure the boat doesn’t stop!
Truckee River:
For many, this is considered prime time to fish the Truckee River. Flows are good, bugs are popping and the fish are active. March Browns have been the primary hatch but as water temp comes up a few more degrees we will start to see caddis and PMDs. Try a larger stonefly up front and two small bugs behind it, like a midge or mayfly size 18 or smaller. In those perfect holes sippers are still being found midday, but nymphing remains the go to for catching and not just fishing! Fish are still being lazy in the soft, deep water, so if you can see the bottom, don’t dedicate a lot of time there, and try to find somewhere deeper.
Little Truckee River:
A few Spawners have still been seen recently but even once the spawn ends, the Redds will remain vulnerable until the fry hatch. Please stay out of the posted spawning zones and avoid walking onto any Redds. Flows have been stable at 200 cfs, a great flow for this river. Fishing reports have been good from this section of tailwater, but also the crowds have been thick. Unfortunately this is one of the better fisheries in the area for both accessibility and chance at catching a nice fish, so crowds are a natural side effect. If you find yourself out there on a busy day, try fishing the in-between stuff, you might be surprised with what you find.
East Walker River:
It finally feels like Spring time on the East Walker with flows consistently over 100 CFS. This consistency should get the fish to spread out and look for some meals. The beauty of this river is that at these flows, you can fish it how you want. Whether it be with a dry dropper, solo dry, indicator, euro rig, or streamer, it all works! Call the shop and ask about fishing some private water on the East Walker if you really want to spoil yourself.
Stillwater Options:
Stillwater is starting to heat up and several of our local lakes have recently been stocked. Throw out an indicator with a balanced leech 4-5 feet deep along with a chrinomid as deep as you can get it while still being able to cast. If you’re fishing from a tube or boat, slow stripping a wooly bugger with a nymph behind it has been producing, as well as fishing deep with a slip-indicator in the middle parts of the day.
Hot Lakes:
Boca Reservoir
Sawmill Lake - BOOK NOW!
Lake Baron - BOOK FATHER’S DAY CLINIC!
Bridgeport Reservoir
Silver Lake
Caple’s Lake
Tahoe
