Winter Fishing Is In The Details
We’re seeing a pattern over the years with seasonal norms starting later and later. The last few years the Northern Sierra Nevada has seen the storm window start a bit later and some wet April/May days. 2025 is doing it again with a very dry January that we hope will give way to consi precip coming off the Pacific with that nice westerly breeze to set up a good snow pack. In the meantime, it’s game on with clear water on the usual beats and some hungry fish, with less crowds in the South.
TROUT REGULATIONS CHANGE NOV. 16 for some of your favorite Sierra Rivers. See below for seasonal regulations.
East Fork Carson River: It’s been lonely out here… and good. This dry high pressure east wind spell we’re on has kept flows low and clear and fairly easy access to the regular spots. Look for some ice along the edges in the morning and in the shadows but the trails are clear - maybe a little muddy. The river is fishing well if you have a little stealth. Size down on your indicator (let it low ride) and run 5x to your low fly. Also watch your shadow on the water and walk softly on gravel bars and around the river. The BH Pat’s Rubber Legs size 12 was the winner last week in coffee/black and the low bug was a jig head hare’s ear, blowtorch or dark red worm. The fish are concentrated and not traveling much for food. Get a good drift in the 4-star and 5-star buckets and skip the rest. The river is fishing good with healthy wild and stocked fish throughout and not a lot of foot traffic - kind of a perfect winter “storm” to fish.
East Carson River 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: Another great winter fishery that starts high elevation and ends in low elevation. There can be a bit more foot traffic than down South right now. Aim for a midday fishing session from about 10 AM to 3 PM for best success. This past week has been really cold and the BWO hatches we are seeing have faded. Look for this to bounce back as we see midday temps increase this week. If the hatch isn’t happening, keep it small and subsurface with black midges, BWO nymphs, and tiny stone flys. Eggs and Worms also work well in the winter time - go milky. Another trick is to break the mold and throw a medium to large streamer hoping to find that one fish that is conserving energy…. unless the meal is too large to turn down. Crawdad and Sculpin patterns work well in the winter.
Truckee River Fishing Regulations:(starting Nov. 16th)
Below Lake Tahoe Dam:(All Year) Closed for 1000’ below Lake Tahoe Dam. 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: Continue to mind the Redds and stay out of these waters. There are quality fish throughout this stretch so let the pairs finish up. Plan to see other anglers on some of your favorite spots. In some cases you might waste a day waiting for “that good water”. When this happens, take a closer look at the river. If you see another angler in the 4-star water throwing his 50th drift. Look downriver in some of the soft water - those fish that were higher up may have dropped down a bit away from the death by a thousand casts above you. This river fishes well in the winter but the road is unmaintained so be careful not to get stuck in a snow patch out there. Small, beadless nymphs and BWO dry fly patterns are the normal flies during the winter.
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: Probably too low for us to make the drive out there at 20 CFS, but if they raise the river to 40+ CFS, it can be a fun wintertime option. We look forward to early spring (March-April) where the Skwalas will start to emerge and the fishing gets really good.
East Walker River Fishing Regulations:(starting Nov. 16th)
Below Bridgeport Reservoir to Nevada Stateline: Fully Closed in California. Open in Nevada. Catch and release, artificial, single hook only from Stateline to the Elbow. Below the Elbow, general regulations.
Stillwater Options: Pyramid shore bite is heating up in the early season. Let’s hope it sticks around this year. For your other stillwater options, float tubes, small boats, and sinking lines will be working better the next few months, with opportunity for the bank angler in the mornings and evenings. Calibaetis, midges, and random terrestrials will wind up in the water if you want to try dry flies, but leeches and wooly buggers are the safe choice if no fish are rising.
Hot Lakes:
Bridgeport Reservoir: Closed
Sawmill Lake - Closed untill 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- Big lake with big fish. Do you fish inlets? We do.
Tahoe - Not a numbers game but when we fish Tahoe we are looking for that fish of a lifetime
Heenan Lake - Closed until September.
