Current Water Conditions

The Truckee River is fishing really well this week, especially for anglers who hit the water before the crowds roll in. Flows are steady and healthy—303 CFS at Tahoe City, 335 CFS through Truckee, and 514 CFS at Farad—making the canyon stretch particularly productive. Mornings have been cool, trout are feeding hard, and water clarity is excellent. Thanks to these cooler mornings and afternoons, high temps haven’t been an issue, keeping conditions prime.                                              

Water Temperatures

Temperatures start in the low 60s°F at first light and climb to around 65°F by mid-afternoon. The Glenshire stretch is averaging about 63°F, while the canyon stays a touch cooler near 62°F. The best bite has been before lunch, with action slowing slightly as the day warms.

Hatches

Bug activity has been light. The caddis hatch has tapered off, and surface action is limited. Most anglers are finding success with subsurface presentations instead of dry flies.

Effective Tactics

Tightline nymphing in riffles and seams is producing consistently. Crawdad imitations fished in faster water are moving trout, and dry-dropper setups on 5x leaders are working well in mixed currents. Streamers are drawing the attention of bigger browns in the canyon, especially during low-light windows. The sweet spot for action has been from about 6am to 11am in the faster water pockets.

Catch Report

Anglers are reporting steady action on rainbows and browns in the 12–16” range from Glenshire to Hirschdale. In the canyon, browns close to 20” are holding in the deeper pools. Early mornings and evenings are still the best windows.

Fly Box Must-Haves

Caddis Emergers (#16), Green Rockworms (#16), Squirmy Worms (#16), Split Case PMDs (#16), Brown San Juan Worms (#12), Pheasant Tails (#14-18), Beadless Pheasant Tails (#16), Juju Baetis (#18), Crawdad Patterns in Various Colors, Streamers (Sculpzillas and Conehead Mullers)