Gorgeous warm weather and blue skies have dominated the
skies in the Northern Sierra for the last week, and the flows keep pumping at a
high level on the Truckee River. At the Granite campground station on Hwy 89 the
flows are at 1,530 cubes, add in Donner Creek at 443 cfs and you will find the
flows through the town of Truckee at 1,973. Along the Glenshire stretch below the
added inflows of Trout creek and Martis creek, flows are 2,430 cubes. Below the
Boca inflow, 3800 cfs. During the spring runoff you’ll notice slight pulses in
the graphs from freeze/thaw cycles. The highest flows appear around midnight
with the lowest flows in the mid-morning. Fishing pressure is heavy in the more
popular spots on the Truckee River, but there is plenty of areas that are off
the beaten path. Water temps range from 42-46 degrees. The forecast for peak
runoff in the Northern Sierra is the last week of May at this time, conditions
can change due to weather and air temps, so check back here frequently.
The fishing is decent if you are willing to put in the work,
not a lot of fish, but bigger quality trout. Tight line nymphing, and streamers
remain to be the game to be played. From Prosser creek upstream the water
clarity is much better and you can use smaller flashier nymphs. Other than that, the same old basic menu of bacon & eggs, stones, crawdads, and larger
attractor nymphs. The right type of water is not that plentiful so move around
to multiple spots, put in quality presentations, get out and move on.
Above is the type of water you are looking for, slow moving
calmer water with some depth, next to the main flow. Approach the edges of the
river with caution and stealth as some trout are in skinny water within the submerged
native grasses that are currently underwater. Large bushes next to the bank
with accumulated woody debris and logs often harbor a large trout as it is a
prime singular holding area.
The Little Truckee is outside it’s banks running at 1,260,
way above the average mean flow. Big water everywhere you look.
Special thanks to group #2 of High Sierra Flycasters out of
the Gradnerville / Minden area for participating in my High Water Workshop. I’ve
have two more scheduled in May, but they are filled up. Look for my upcoming
presentations from my following post, and new dates for the High Water Workshop in 2020. Be
careful out there and don’t take chances, live to fish another day…
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