The Truckee has seen a steady increase in flows again this week, and this trend will likely continue for the next couple of months. The California Watermaster has begun to release around 200 CFS out of Lake Tahoe, and with the amount remaining on the mountains in the Tahoe Basin, the section along Highway 89 should be flowing well for most of the spring and summer.

Around Glenshire Bridge we are seeing flows around 600 CFS, and this will push fish into slower pockets of water near the banks, behind rocks or in the few deep buckets along this stretch. With the brief window of warm weather we’ve had this week, we even saw a brief flush of some of our lower elevation snow. By the time the water reaches the canyon, the flows climb to around 900 CFS. When fishing during high water periods on the Truckee, we really like to focus on the canyon section of the river. We look for slow moving water, deep buckets and shoulder water just off the main current where fish can hold. There is simply more holding water for trout where the river is big. We recommend sticking with large attractor nymphs again this week, with stoneflies, worms, eggs and crawdads making up our fly selection this time of year.

There are also midges, baetis, March browns and caddis around as well, and if fishing tributaries, or upper section of the river, these would be good to mix in as well. With the combination of high water, warm water temps and overcast days expected this weekend, it would be a great time to throw some streamers, such as sculpin patterns or crawdads. High contrast colors like black for Sculpins or a bright orange for crawdads would be a great place to start. Don’t be afraid to go big and flashy. This week we did also see enough of the skwala adults around once again to tempt some more trout to eat off the surface. And once again, there were some big browns in the mix! If you see some splashy rises, give that skwala dry a chance, they will be around for a little while longer.  As mentioned in last week’s report, there are currently rainbows spawning along the entire river system and anglers should remain aware when wading in or fishing around shallow gravel bars. If you have any questions about what to look for, or the best practices when fishing during this time, please don’t hesitate to reach out.