With Truckee seeing it’s first dusting of snow last week, we have seen the typical fall weather patterns begin. We are looking at beautiful 70 degree days this weekend, with a few days of rain starting early in the week. With this change in the weather, we have seen the Truckee now drop below the 50 degree mark in the mornings. Usually when we see water temps range in the mid 40’s, it means the brown trout will begin their annual spawn. We expect this to be the case before too long. This is the true pre-spawn window for these often elusive fish and the next few weeks will be your best bet for finding those true trophy browns that the Truckee is known for.
October 16th Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
Fall Guided Trips
Autumn brings classic fall fly fishing conditions to our local rivers, making it the prime time to experience a guided half-day walk and wade trip with Trout Creek Outfitters. Whether you’re targeting eager trout during crisp morning hatches or mastering technical presentations through glassy runs, our expert guides are ready to put you on fish for an unforgettable autumn day on the water.
Truckee River Fishing Report
The Truckee River is in its average fall flows right now, with Glenshire at only around 100 CFS, and the canyon around 400. The upper section of river will be a good place to throw dry dropper set ups and fish any of the deeper runs you can find. There are plenty of fish up here and it will still fish good despite the low flows, but a certain degree of stealth will be required to have a good day.
Dry droppers are a more natural presentation than slapping an orange bobber over their heads and allow you to effectively fish the skinner sections of river. With October caddis present, a Stimulator, Chubby Chernobyl or specific October Caddis dry fly will be your best option. For the nymph, think small BWO nymphs down to a size 20 with 6x tippet. If fishing down in the canyon, your standard indicator set up will work perfectly, but we would still recommend the white or clear indicators over the bright colors, so long as you can see them. A bobber doesn’t do you any good if you can’t see when it goes down. With the temps continuing to drop, the tight line method will still work well in some situations but will be not as ideal in others.
When fish are holding in deep buckets, across the river or in other areas that you just can’t wade out to, the indicator will pick up the slack. The streamer bite continues to get better and better too, so for all of you asking us about streamer fishing on the Truckee, now is the time!
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee Fishing Report
The Little Truckee Remains low and we are encouraging anglers to seek out greener pastures while the conditions are less than ideal, giving these overworked fish a much-needed break.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee River
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report
The recent reports at the lake describe the deep-water bite as hit or miss right now. Despite the colder days this week, the fish are still holding in that 40–60-foot range most consistently, and the best way to get into them will be using heavy jigs and a fish finder. Find the bait, and you’ll find the trout. The fish also appear to be a bit more line shy this year with better numbers being found on 10–12-pound test instead of the standard 15-20 for this time of year.
Obviously, this has its added challenges when hooking fish of this caliber, so set those drags loose, but be aware of potential for overplaying of the fish. For the preservation of this fishery we love so much, please take some time to research the best way to revive fish and successfully release them when coming up from deep water. Minimize time playing the fish as well as handling/picture time and consider bringing a descending device with you. let’s do our part to see this fishery continue to flourish!
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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