The bright, sunny weather hardly feels like mid-January, but we aren’t complaining...Yet! The lack of powder days for all the skiers has meant some great mid-winter fishing sessions for the die-hard angler. As we sit in the middle of a high-pressure weather pattern this week, the river has begun to fish well once again. As conditions remain stable across the entire river system and access grows higher upstream, there’s a lot of good fishable miles on the Truckee River right now.
January 16th Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
Winter Guided Fly Fishing
Winter on the Truckee is a truly special time, and our guided trips are your ticket to the best of it! Leave the crowds at home. Winter solitude brings cold, clear rivers, and the biggest fish are ready to strike. Whether you want to hunt for a trophy or looking to dial in technique, our guides know exactly where the action is. Maximize your time on the water, learn the local secrets, and make this winter the most productive yet. Don't wait—book your Truckee fly fishing adventure today!
Truckee River Fishing Report
The Truckee River has been fishing well as of late. The water has cleared up along the entire river, except below Sparks, where some of those feeder creeks are still pumping in a bit of color. It is still very, very fishable down here though, and floating this area is really fun right now.
As water temps near their yearly low, the fish are congregated almost exclusively in the slowest water you can find. Look for walking speed water or slower. Bubble lines, tailouts, slow moving seams and otherwise featureless water is what you’re looking for.
Those of you looking for that mid-winter dry fly fix, fishing at Glenshire Bridge or heading out east to Lockwood, Mustang or Patrick will be your best odds at seeing some noses taking those mid-day baetis or midges off the top. Use small dries and light tippet to dupe these fish and consider trying an emerger of these two insects if the fish are especially weary.
For the bobber fisherman out there, we are now starting to mix a lot more small nymphs into our rotation, down to a size 20, but the worm has still fished well over the last week, with Pat’s rubberlegs working as well. We are a few more weeks out before we really see stonefly patterns work well, as this is when the skwalas begin their yearly emergence.
The streamer fishing remains an option for those that remain dedicated to the swing. While fewer fish may be caught this way, the tug is a whole lot of fun and it makes for great practice for your next steelhead trip! With the cold start to the mornings, we recommend fishing mid-day through the early afternoon right now.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee Fishing Report
Recent reports suggest that there is still a good amount of snow on the road out here, with only the most adventurous anglers making it out here. If you do want to try and fish out here, be sure to have a capable vehicle, with high clearance and snow tires, not all-terrains. Bring shovels, a tow strap, and give yourself plenty of time to get in and out of there. Keep in mind that there is no cell service back here.
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report
The lake has been fishing fair this week, with overcast and windy days seeing the most consistency, and the sunny and windless days making for a tough bite. While this mild weather is generally bad for fishing out here, it is January, and the fish are somewhat active despite this, so there’s still odds of finding some okay fishing. Just make sure you look at the forecast and do your best to plan around days with any wind, overcast, precipitation, etc. if possible.
When fishing out here on those mild winter days, focus on beaches with a really significant drop off, use your sinking line and fish deep early mornings or the late evenings, as these low light periods will often provide your only consistent bite on high pressure days. On overcast days with good wind, you will find fish much more likely to cruise in the shallower areas of the lake with regularity. Last week we found the best luck on leeches, dark and skinny, when fishing the indicator. The indo will be best fished when sun is high and fish are less likely to chase flies, so once the sun is over the hills, change over to the switch rod for some bobber staring.
We are excited to announce a Pyramid Lake Shop Talk on Saturday, January 30th at 6:30PM. This is a free event, but we do ask that you RSVP, as seats are limited. Shop co-owner, Miles Z. will go into detail about gear selection, rigging, flies, beach selection, reading weather patterns, seasons and more. Whether you’re brand new or a wily vet at fly fishing Pyramid, you’re sure to walk away with some good nuggets of information for cracking the code of this lake.
The following week, on Saturday February 7th, we will have a Pyramid Lake Fly Tying Night, where we will specifically focus on Pyramid flies. We are all going to be joined by local legend and overall excellent human, Doug Ouellette, who will be showing us how to tie the original popcorn beetle! He has some interesting insight on not only how to tie, but also how to fish this Pyramid Lake staple that is not to be missed. Miles Z. will also be whipping up some of the new shop fly, the Two Tone Midge. More tiers TBD as well. This will be a fun night with some fishy stories sure to be told!
Both events are BYOB, and we kindly ask that you RSVP. As a part of continuing to build not only the shop itself but the surrounding community of fly fishers, we have dedicated 2026 to be the year of TCO events. Please check our recently updated event calendar on our website for just a few of the things coming up over the next couple months. We have a whole bunch more in the works as well, so be sure to sign up for our email list. Thank you all for your support of our little fly shop, it means so much!
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!
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Don't hesitate to reach out and give the shop a call with questions: (530) 563-5119
Open Daily: 9am - 6pm