Stable April
Throughout this April we’ve had some warm days and some cold days, which is forecasted to continue through the next few weeks. The warm days start to rise the rivers and the cold days freeze the snowpack back up and the rivers quickly settle down, resulting in pretty stable fishing conditions. The East Carson, West Carson, and West Walker rivers are generally the most impacted by spring run off, but it can affect any of our rivers and checking the flow chart before you go is always wise.
East Fork Carson River: We recently attended a Fish and Game commission meeting down in Markleeville and had some strong sentiment regarding the fish plant that occurred last fall. I think everyone agreed that the plant after the regulations switched to the Catch and Release season was a major success and people were able to fish the river all winter long, and the fish stuck around to enjoy. The commission meetings are open to the public and if you would like to listen to the current plans for Alpine county and the East Carson, we urge you to attend these meetings and also voice your opinion if you choose to.
The fishing itself remains excellent with large stockers and a few smaller wild fish being caught regularly, especially nymphing bright and or big styles of flies including egg patterns, mop flies, stoneflies, and worm flies. Only two more weeks before the river starts to get crowded with catch and keep crowds, so enjoy the upper section while it’s fishing good and not too busy .
Truckee River: Flows have crept up over the past week on the Truckee, but it remains fishable all the way to the Nevada border and beyond. This river can be tricky to both fish and find access to, so we recommend stopping by the shop before you go for some pointers, locations, and advice on catching a wild Truckee trout. If you really want to expidite the learning process, you can always hire one of our guides who will happily teach you the rigs we use in high water, the flies we use in the spring, and the spots to find some fishable runs. We have permits to fish all sections of the Truckee and Little Truckee and would be happy to teach you these rivers!
Flies to try are pheasant tails, dark lords, and other flies that imitate March Brown Mayflies, small black midges, Baetis nymphs and emergers, and medium sized stonefly patterns.
Little Truckee River: As usual, the fishing is great, but the banks are busy. Lots of fly fishermen enjoy this section of river which we fully support but encourage good fly fishing etiquette where we share this resource. Give each-other space, avoid fishing the same run if someone is already there, ask which direction people are working, and don’t be afraid to start a conversation. Also please watch for spawning rainbows and avoid fishing to them, or wading near their Redds.
East Walker River: The reservoir is full and we anticipate a flow increase soon, but at the moment the river is flowing a perfect 120 CFS, and is surprisingly clear. The river is currently only open in Nevada, but this section can be worth the extra license. California sections such as the Miracle Mile open the last Saturday of April which if the flows remain stable should fish really well. Medium sized, pale colored stoneflies, baetis patterns, and march brown patterns are working well. Flow Chart
Stillwater Options: Stillwater fly-fishermen often know that spring time, or ice out, is the best time to fish a lake. Trout in lakes will conserve energy and tend to be very lethargic once a lake freezes over, but will quickly snap into gorge mode once a lake thaws out. If trout eating with reckless abandonment sounds like your style of fishing, I highly recommend trying a lake as the ice retreats. Some lakes that have already thawed out and have been fishing well are Indian Creek Lake, Martis Lake, Fallen Leaf lake and Boca reservoir. If you are fishing from shore, try a balanced leech under an indicator as these fish are looking for big meals after a long winter. From a tube or boat try an intermediate line with leeches and wooly buggers.
The inland sea also known as Pyramid lake also has a few more weeks of spring time fishing as the fish condense towards the hatcheries. This time of the year the beaches close to the hatcheries tend to get pretty busy so get their early, or hire a guide to claim the best spots for you!
Hot Lakes:
Baron Lake: Awesome lake in SLT that is C&R, barbless, artificial, and recently thawed
Sawmill Lake - BOOK NOW for 2024 season!
Indian Creek Reservoir - Hot from shore or tube with black leeches!
Pyramid Lake - Shore bite is on and it’s go time with midges
Red Lake - Thawing out but still frozen
Caple’s Lake- Ice starting to change color but still frozen
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
Heenan Lake - Closed
