We have finally seen a positive shift in the weather after a long dry spell. With a few days of steady snowfall and more in the forecast, access along the Truckee and the Little Truckee will become limited, if not near impossible. For those looking to get after it on the main river, we would recommend fishing in Reno to avoid the snowplows and traffic here in California. If you’re looking to fish Pyramid this week, good choice! But be prepared for some crowds as there’s a lot of people that have been waiting for the weather.
February 20th 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 fishing on the Truckee slowed down quite a bit this week when compared to the previous month of dry, warm days. When looking at the conditions, the flows have yet to change much and water temps have dropped but not plummeted. When theorizing why the bite slows down so drastically despite any major shift in the tangible variables, we often just simplify it by saying “trout just like consistency”. A month of sunny days, clear water and stable conditions meant the fish were happy and feeding with regularity. After the cloud cover moved back in, barometric pressure dropped and water temps dropped, and the fish took a bit of time to get adjusted. This doesn’t mean if you do decide to get on the river this week that you’re wasting your time, but we would say expect to work harder to find them.
The fish will continue to hold in slow, deep runs so we recommend using an indicator with a bit of split shot and using lightly weighted or unweighted flies to allow for more natural movement on your bugs. With the precipitation this week, an unweighted squirmy or San Juan worm will be hard to beat right now, especially when paired with a small baetis or midge pattern. For baetis, we have been doing well on sweet peas, micro mays, juju baetis, pheasant tails, and mic drops. For midges, we have been almost exclusively fishing zebra midges in either black or the two tone red and black.
Recommended Flies for the Truckee River
Little Truckee Fishing Report
As of today, the Little Truckee remains inaccessible due to snow on Stampede Dam Road. Feel free to give the shop a call about the latest road conditions for the LT.
Recommended Flies for the Little Truckee River
Pyramid Lake Fishing Report
The bite at Pyramid has been great this week. The fishing is good throughout the day, and all presentations have been working. We would recommend choosing your method of fishing based on the beach you end up at, or vice versa. If fishing a rocky bottom beach, you would want to avoid using sinking line and streamers and would be best focusing on fishing midges under an indicator. If you’re on a sand bottom beach with a really significant drop off, try using streamers or balanced leeches fished right off the drop off as fish love cruising these ledges in search of baitfish. The more gradual beaches are typically where you will see people fishing off ladders and stripping or using midges fished shallow under the bobber.
This time of year is typically considered to be the best in terms of finding both good numbers and good sizes of fish, and now that we have the weather factor as well, this is looking like one of the best windows of fishing the lake may see all year. We highly recommend you find some time to get out here this week.
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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