Truckee River

Fishing the Truckee River

The Truckee is the only outlet of Lake Tahoe. It leaves the lake at Tahoe City, runs north to the town of Truckee, bends east through a canyon into Nevada, crosses Reno and Sparks, and ends 121 miles on in Pyramid Lake. Its size depends on the run-off and on what is let out of Lake Tahoe. From Fanny Bridge in Tahoe City to the Alpine Meadows Rd bridge, Hwy 89 and a bike path follow the river past islands and slow meadow water, busy with rafters and tubers in summer. Below River Ranch it switches sides of the highway at Midway Bridge and runs into Truckee as brushy pocket water, past Silver Creek, Goose Meadow and Granite Flat campgrounds, with private land between the turnouts. Below town, Glenshire Dr and the Legacy Trail reach big-boulder pockets at Truckee Falls and a set of weirs where trout rise to dries, down to the Glenshire bridge and private club water. Off I-80, the Schoolyard and The Loop lead to Boca, where the Little Truckee joins and the Miracle Mile glide begins. Between Hirschdale and Floriston there is almost no public access. From Floriston to the state line it drops through a gorge of fast pocket water, reached from I-80 turnouts, Farad and the Tahoe-Pyramid trail. In Nevada, Verdi and Mogul have more pocket water, then city parks on the paved Tahoe-Pyramid bike trail line the river through Reno and Sparks. Below Sparks, Lockwood, Mustang, McCarran Ranch Preserve and the USA Parkway exit reach slower water. Past Derby Dam and Wadsworth the river enters the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, tribal land under the tribe's own rules and permits; the sites here stop above it. The fish are rainbow trout, and each stretch has its own season. Tahoe City to Truckee is best in late summer and fall at about 100 to 250 cfs. From Truckee through the canyon to the state line, the good months run from the end of run-off through fall until snow, at roughly 150 to 550 cfs. Through Reno and Sparks the river fishes all year and is best in winter at 250 to 450 cfs; below Sparks, late fall, winter and early spring are best at 400 to 600 cfs. The upper river warms in late summer as Tahoe releases drop, so fish early and late and carry a thermometer. Most of the Truckee is pocket water with riffles, runs and tailouts behind brushy banks, so wading usually beats casting from shore. Roll cast under the overhanging trees, fish bait and lures from the bank in the bigger pools, and save dry flies for the Glenshire weirs and evenings on the Miracle Mile. Footing is uneven, and a wading staff earns its keep in the Floriston gorge. Where the bank is private, stay in the water. Dress in layers for the altitude and bring plenty to drink. Regulations change and differ by section and by state, so check the current California and Nevada regulations before you go.