November 7th Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River, Little Truckee River and Pyramid Lake
The next few weeks will be one of the few shoulder seasons the Truckee/Tahoe area seems to get nowadays. Before the holiday/ski crowds start to show up, early November in Truckee feels like what the entire fall seasons of just a couple decades ago would have. While we are certainly appreciative of the amount of visitors the area receives, and we can’t deny that this is why we are able to survive as such a niche business, we will relish these next few weeks. The fishing really is some of the best of the year right now, with good fishing using nymphs, dries, streamers; you name it. Cold weather, empty rivers and fired up trout… Sign us up!
Guided Fly Fishing
Fall on the Truckee is a truly special time, and our guided trips are your ticket to the best of it! As the water cools and the leaves change, the big wild trout get aggressive. 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 autumn the most productive yet. Don't wait—book your Truckee fly fishing adventure today!
Truckee River Fishing Report
The Truckee continues to kick out some stellar fishing. With stable, above average flows, and good water clarity along the entire river, fishing is good pretty much everywhere right now. From Tahoe City to out past Sparks, there’s good trout fishing to be had on the majority of the Truckee, and this combined with the light crowds makes now a great time to explore some new water.
Water temps are in the 48-54 degree range and the fish are spread out in any given run, being found in anything from riffles to frog water. Fish it all. This is also getting into the temps that trigger the browns to begin spawning, so please be aware when wading in shallow gravel bars, slower riffles or tailouts and avoid stepping near redds.
Fly selection this week is looking very similar to weeks prior and will more or less remain the same through the winter. We are using stoneflies, worms, and eggs as our attractor nymphs, paired with a BWO nymph or midge larva. The stones have been most productive in sizes 8-10, the BWOs and midges in size 18-22, and mostly in darker shades. 4x and 5x tippet will be best used with these imitations, and don’t forget the split shot.
For streamers, you can’t go wrong with a sculpin imitation in olive or black, but other colors of note would be white, brown or yellow. Typically, we find the 2-4 inch size range to be the best, but going large this time of year could work as well.
For the dry fly angler, we have been seeing consistent noses in two areas, here in Truckee along the Glenshire Drive area, and out east around Lockwood and Mustang Ranch. They are mostly keying in on baetis in sizes 18-20, with the emergers often outfishing the duns. At Glenshire Drive, we are also seeing good dry action on midge patterns, like Griffith’s gnats and para midges in sizes 20-22.
Throwing these small midge imitations in low, clear water may be one of the few situations where using 6x may be applicable. Fishing the baetis hatch on the lower river, we tend to think 5x is sufficient, but with clarity improving down there, a strong 6x mono tippet like Cortland nylon may get you some more love.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee Fishing Report
The LT remains low yet again this week and we are strongly encouraging anglers to give this fishery a break at this time, especially with the main river fishing as well as it is!
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report
The lake flipped last week, and the fish are dispersed amongst most of the water column right now. With a cold, windy storm this week and another substantial storm pushing through next week, we predict the shore bite to start up next week.
For those heading out this week, using a boat or a float tube with a fast sinking line and small tui chub pattern will be the best way to fish right now. The use of a fish finder is important right now as well. We do carry the Garmin Striker castable sonar now, and this will be a great tool for your time spent on the tube as well as from shore to mark the depths of the beach you’re fishing. You can find it, along with all other Pyramid essentials on our website!
Once the fish begin to show up along the shore, using balanced leeches and balanced baitfish will be the standard through most of early winter, typically switching to midges around late December or January.
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 our most recent Truckee River Canyon Float on YouTube!
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