Truckee River Fly Fishing Report & Forecast

The Federal Water Master continues to hold back water this week and there’s a lot of speculation on when they will decide to turn on the spigot out of our local reservoirs. We’ve heard that come mid-August we will see the flows out of Tahoe City start increasing, the reservoirs downstream are anyone’s guess. While it will be great to see some more water upstream, there is a bit of concern on how cold this water will be as this is a top fed dam and surface temperature of Lake Tahoe is right around 70 degrees. However, the tail water reservoirs of Boca and Prosser should keep the Canyon fishing great all fall and it seems safe to say we will have excellent conditions from Hirschdale to state line for the remainder of 2023. The upper section of river along 89 and through town is currently running very low and due to the surface water out of Tahoe City, we have begun the see water temps from 89 South all the way to the Boca confluence start to rise over 68 degrees by mid-day. If fishing up high, please bring a thermometer with you and call it quits when temps reach 68. This will also go for the Reno side of the river, especially if you’re down past Sparks. Please respect this voluntary hoot owl closure to keep our wild trout happy and healthy this summer. The best conditions of the river right now will certainly be from Hirschdale all the way through West Reno, where flows and temps are great. The Hatches continue to be prolific this week, and the PMD’s, Yellow Sallies and Caddis have all been equally active. When throwing dries, you will likely find mostly small fish, but we’ve also seen a few incredible fish caught on top recently, so remain ready. Euro nymphing remains the most effective method right now due to the fish seeking out the faster moving water such as riffles and pocket water. Caddis pupa, Yellow Sally nymphs, PMD nymphs, as well as Stoneflies, Green Drakes, Crawdads and maybe even the occasional worm will be the main bugs on the menu, but if your typical offerings aren’t working then you can try throwing them a curveball, as we are in summer and there is a lot of different types of bugs in the drift right now.