March 27th Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
The Truckee River and its tributaries are in what we expect to be some of the best fishing conditions of the year right now. This early spring has made fishing excellent to start the season and one can only speculate what happens later in the summer, but likely low and warm water will be a part of it. As of now though, the water is cold, the bugs are abundant, and the fish are active. Go get it!
Spring Half-Day Guided Floats
Trade the long wade for a spring float on the Truckee. This is one of the best windows of the year, Skwalas and Baetis bringing consistent dry fly chances and higher flows setting up the kind of streamer water this river is known for. Spring can bring some of the most exciting fishing of the year, and our guides know how to stay ahead of shifting conditions. It’s a short season, book a half-day float and make the most of it.
Truckee River Fishing Report
The Truckee River is seeing flows change not only daily but hourly as the remaining snow melts from the peaks. This yo-yo pattern you would see when looking at the USGS stream gauges are typical for this time of year, which is a product of ambient temperature swings causing streams to rise and fall over a 24-hour period. However, it is far less drastic this year with the lack of snow. The releases from the reservoirs are also constantly changing based on the incredibly complicated formula that the state has worked out over the last few decades. This involves taking into account what’s expected to come into the reservoirs from snow melt, what the downstream water demand is and hundreds of other factors, I’m sure. With a good bit of rain/snow (fingers crossed for snow) in the forecast, we are looking at a big change in conditions starting early this week. We’d expect this to throw the fish off for a few days and for the fishing to slow as a result. With a good bit of precipitation expected from this storm over a 3-day period, the river will likely rise and using worm patterns will be a solid bet this week. Streamer fishing should also improve with the shift in weather patterns. We did also get a good restocking of Montana Fly Co. streamers here in the shop, so stop in and check them out. In terms of the hatches we are seeing right now, there are baetis, midges, march browns, skwalas, and even a few caddis around this week. When there are this many bugs present, we recommend using a more general purpose fly such as a Duracell, blowtorch or Frenchie as they do a better job of imitating various bugs instead of one. With the increase in flows this week, think something flashy and with movement. With the continued cold temps expected into the rest of the week expect slower days in terms of numbers, but potentially some larger fish in the mix!
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee Fishing Report
The LT has seen good hatches, good flows and consistent fishing this week. We are seeing winter stones, baetis, skwalas and midges out here right now. While all of these imitations are worth a try, we would say the most consistent would be baetis and skwalas, as the winter stones begin to fizzle out. Then there’s always worms and eggs as your attractors as well. Using small drab baetis patterns such as WD40s, pheasant tails, darth baetis or beadhead RS2s are great options as angling pressure begins to set in on out here. For skwalas we are seeing them in a size 10-12, so fish smaller than you may for the main river. If dry fly fishing don’t forget your light nylon tippet, down to a 7x, and building long leaders will help keep your stealth up. For dry flies it’s hard to beat mole flies (which we now carry down to a sz. 24) and RS2s for imitating baetis. For skwalas a #12 Rio’s Skwala is a great bet as well as a good dry for dry dropper fishing. With the snow expected this week, we may see the road closed out for a short while by as early as Tuesday, please call for the latest conditions on Stampede Dam Rd.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee River
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report
The lake has still continued to fish a bit hot and cold this week as the majority of the fish are focused on spawning right now. This is the time of year where we recommend fishing the more gradual drop-offs using an indicator set shallow and fished far from your ladder. These same beaches will also fare well for stripping. As a third option, getting out on a float tube and fishing deep with a slip indicator set up and a fish finder can really help when the fish are pushed just out of reach for shore anglers. We expect a bit of a post spawn bite to hapopen here in the coming weeks where the fishing should pick back up before the trout seek the deeper water during the summer months. With more people switching gears and focusing on the rivers right now, angling pressure has decreased out here slightly and we should begin to see some good fishing shortly. For those fishing an indicator, fish smaller and more natural colored midges in sizes 12-14 and in colors like brown, wine or black. If stripping try some smaller sized beetles or tadpoles.
Recommended Flies for Pyramid Lake
Check the Flows Before You Go...
Trout Creek Outfitters Clearance Rack!
Before you go, take a moment to explore our end of summer blowout sale featured on this Clearance Rack. It's a great opportunity to find quality gear at reduced prices, perfect for adding to your kit or trying something new. You might just hook a fantastic deal!
Watch Doug Ouellette Break Down Pyramid Lake Beetle Retrieves on YouTube!
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