September 12th Fly Fishing Report for the Truckee River and Little Truckee River

Fall has seemed to come a bit early this year, with air temps in the mid-60s this week and peaking in the mid-70s next week here in Truckee. This has done a lot for the water temps on the river. As of today, we are out of hoot owl restrictions along most of the river, with the exceptions of maybe the lowest most parts east of Mustang Ranch! This opens up fishing all day, along pretty much all of the good trout water on the Truckee. This means we are now in the sweet spot for excellent fishing, good weather and big pre-spawn fish. With crowds at a minimum and fishing conditions getting better every day, this is a prime time to get on the Big T!

We are also just a few short weeks away from the opener at Pyramid Lake. Coming off what was one of the best years for fishing out here in the ‘24/’25 season, combined with the early shift in weather patterns this year, we have high hopes for that first week in October to provide some excellent fish.

Be sure to look for us at the Gear Up For The Mid yet again this year which will be switching venues to Pyramid Lake Lodge, September 30th from 6pm-8pm. Also to keep the good times rolling, we will be at the Fly Fishing Film Tour at Alibi Ale Works here in Truckee on Thursday October, 2nd. This will be hosted by Truckee’s local non-profit Truckee River Public Waters, and all proceeds will go to conservation of, and maintaining access along our local watershed, the Truckee River. The doors open at 5:30 and movies start at 6:00. You can get tickets 3 ways, either at the door, ahead of time at the shop, or online at www.TruckeeRiverPublicWaters.org. Please consider bringing a few extra bucks to donate to the raffle, there will be some rods donated by us as well as Orvis, lines donated by Scientific Anglers, packs donated by Patagonia, and more.

We love being a part of these events that bring the local fishing community together and hope to see you at one, or ideally both! Lastly, we would like to remind you that we will be reducing our shop hours starting Monday the 15th, we will remain open every day from 9am-6pm. This is your weekly PSA from TCO!

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!

Book a Guided Trip Now

Truckee River Fishing Report

Good flows, cool water temps, light crowds and pre-spawn fish. What else can we say? These coming weeks will likely be some of the best fishing of the year for our river, and we hope you can make it happen! With the drop in temps, fishing all day is good and the late evening streamer fishing will likely be a good option in coming weeks, with nymph fishing the rest of the day providing the most consistency.

Crawdads continue to fish well again this week, likely due in part to the stormy days and dropping water temps making the fish feed with a bit more ferocity than normal. These are typically best fished on the tightline set up, occasionally imparting some motion on the fly to elicit a reaction from the trout. Pairing these with flies like peaches and cream, blowtorches, and CDC hustlers have been a deadly combination.

The indicator set up has also begun to fish well again recently and works well to cover greater swaths of water as the fish begin to spread out a bit heading into fall. The indo is also a great way to fish unweighted flies with split shot, providing a more natural presentation in the slow stuff, where fish have more time to inspect your offering.

With more thunderstorms this week, worms, stoneflies and eggs are also good bugs to start mixing into the rotation. This is normally an exciting time of year for fishing the Truckee, but when we also have good flows, temps and weather, it really does make it all the better!

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Recommended Flies for the Truckee River

Umpqua Hell Razer Craw

$6.99

Umpqua Blowtorch

$3.75

MFC Jake's Depth Charge Jig Worm

$3.75

Umpqua CDC Hustler

$3.75

Umpqua Duracel Bomb

$3.75

Solitude San Juan Worm Tungsten

$2.49

Solitude Mud Bug

$4.49

Umpqua Peaches & Cream

$3.75

Little Truckee River Fishing Report

With the flows remaining low on the LT we are encouraging anglers to avoid fishing out here. Thank you for your consideration!

Check the Flows Before You Go...

Check USGS Local River Conditions here!

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!