Fly Fishing Report | Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River | mid October 2022

Oct 20, 2022 | FISHING REPORT, Pyramid Lake, Reno Fly Shop, Truckee River

The first half of October has provided outstanding fishing at Pyramid Lake as well as the Truckee River. Nighttime low temperatures have continued to drop and many of our favorite waters in the region are fishing well. While we’ve highlighted Pyramid Lake and the Truckee River in this report, there are a number of other places to explore which are fishing very well. We hope you enjoy this week’s report and get to spend some time out on the water!

Pyramid Lake

The fishing at Pyramid Lake has been nothing short of fantastic since the season opener on October 1st. Anglers have been having success catching Lahontan Cutthroat Trout after locating schools of Tui Chub minnows. These bait balls congregate near points and other structure around the lake. Some of the most exciting fishing takes place at this time as you can cast a streamer into a school of Tui Chub being actively ambushed by large cutthroat trout. Streamers are the best option at this time since the fish are chasing schools of Tui Chub at a rapid pace. One of the more popular and effective techniques this year has been a vertical presentation using a heavily weighted fly or jig on a heavy sinking line. Baitfish patterns like the Reno Fly Shop Super Jig weigh 1/4 ounce and get down quickly. This new fly is available exclusively at the Reno Fly Shop and is available in 3 color combinations. With a change in weather expected this weekend, we anticipate water temperatures to drop and wind speed increase. Lahontan Cutthroat have been located throughout the water column at a depth ranging from 0-50 feet as they follow Tui Chub schools. Many people have found success by using a fish finder to identify depth and locate trout and bait balls.

Deeper castable sonar units are now available at the Reno Fly Shop in-store and online. Shore fishing has been slow but still possible in the early and late part of the day. Following the weather pattern change, it is possible trout to begin moving shallower and closer to shore. 

Flies we Suggest: Super Jig, Tui Chub, Perch Fry, Mopcorn Beetle, Balanced Leech, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow, Belly Ache Minnow

Truckee River

Fly Fishing on the Truckee River has continued to be productive with almost ideal river flows for this time of year. With cooler nights on the top end of the river, water temperatures have come into an ideal range and set the stage for really good fall fishing. As the water has cooled, bug activity and food sources have changed a bit. A majority of the fish being caught currently are on either nymphing or streamer setups. Nymphing is your best bet to find numbers of fish right now. There a quite a few small mayflies in the system, so mayfly nymphs in a size range of #14-18 will get the job done. We have brought in a number of new flies for fall fishing on the Truckee River both in-store and online. Midges will also gain importance in the trout’s diet as the seasons change. Zebra Midges in a standard red or black in a size range of #18-20 will continue to fish better. Jigged streamers have fished very well in the last week on a European Style Nymphing (ESN) rig. These flies can be fished on either a dead drift or a jigging presentation. By bouncing the rod tip gently throughout the drift, you can give life to the jigged streamer and entice hard takes. Flies like the Silver Fish and Daniel’s UV Polar Jig work great for this technique. 

Streamer fishing on the Truckee River has increased in productivity as water temperatures have decreased. Fall is synonymous with brown trout and streamer fishing on the Truckee. A wide variety of streamer patterns have caught fish recently with baitfish and sculpin patterns near the top of the list. Generally speaking, baitfish patterns work well on the lower river from Reno and downstream. Sculpin patterns are consistent upstream of Reno to the town of Truckee. Crayfish are still on the menu, so make sure to carry a few with you. 

Flies we Suggest: Quill Jig, TNT, Hot Spot, black Perdigon, Duracell, Coppertop, Hot Cheek, Micro Mayfly, Daniel’s UV Polar Jig, Silver Fish, Barely Legal, Belly Ache Minnow, Heisenberg

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