Overall, conditions on the river are great. The flows are right at average for this time of year, and so are water temps. As expected for this time of year, we have begun to see some sections of the river near hoot owl levels and with these rising water temps, we encourage anglers to really focus on the morning hours at this point. If fishing in the afternoon, the canyon would be the place to be thanks to cold releases out of Boca Reservoir. At this point in the season, we recommend carrying a thermometer with you when fishing for the day and taking periodic temperature readings, calling it a day when the river gets up to 68 degrees. As for the fishing, put your focus on the fast water right now. Pocket water and riffles are where the fish will be. We have reports of the crawdads beginning their molt, which is like a dinner bell for the Truckee Trout. Lighter colored crawdad patterns will be key to imitate these softer shelled crustations. Tans, grays, or lighter shades of olive or orange. We are big fans of dead drifting these patterns, and even bigger fans of doing so on the euro rod. With these larger offerings, being sure to use a lot of weight and tick the bottom. It’s also important to do so on the first couple of drifts as the fish will be quick to decide if they want your lobster dinner or not. The hatches around right now are PMDs, caddis, yellow sallies, golden stoneflies and green drakes, and all of them are on the trout’s menu.

If you would like to go fishing with us please check out our website Trout Creek Outfitters.com or call (530) 563-5119.