Fly Fishing Report | Pyramid Lake and Truckee River | early October 2023 | Garmin Striker Castable Sonar

Pyramid Lake Open to Fishing

The long awaited Pyramid Lake Opener for the 2023-2024 season has finally arrived, with spectacular fishing closely following. While the first day of the season (October 1) was windy and wavy, the days following allowed anglers to get out and fish more effectively. The last few days have fished very well at Pyramid Lake and we anticipate these conditions to continue with the moderate temperatures and comfortable conditions. With many anglers turning their attention to Pyramid Lake, the Truckee River continues to put out quality fish every day.

Conditions couldn’t be better for early October and we are excited for the Fall season!

Truckee River

The Truckee River is currently flowing around 330 cfs at the USGS gauge near downtown Reno. While flow has dropped here in town over the last few weeks, 330 cfs is a great flow to see in October. This should set up our Fall fishing well and as we move into the winter months. 

Fish have been caught on a variety of flies and techniques recently. Nymphs, dries, and streamers all play a role in a day fishing the Truckee right now. Nymphing in the mornings (not too early) has been productive. Angling opportunities seem to peak between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. when nymphing. While fall is typically when we transition to smaller patterns, fish have been caught on varying sizes of nymphs. Flies like the Jigged CDC PT have worked well in a size 14. Even though there aren’t many size 14 mayflies active in the river currently, fish keep eating this fly. As the morning progresses, fish seem to key in on slightly smaller flies in the 16-18 size range. Possibly due to a higher and more intense sun angle, trout want a smaller and more natural fly at this time of day. Try flies like the Galloup’s Jig BWO or the Psycho May during this time.

 

Dry fly fishing has been a nice treat the last few days. Largely due to storms and cloud cover, we have seen an emergence of small mayflies around mid day. This hatch can be put down by wind – so pick and choose your days if possible. A calm, cloudy afternoon should be your queue to rig a dry fly. The Baetis Cripple, Parachute Adams, and Purple Haze are all great choices in size 16-18.

Streamer fishing has been solid recently. Success is largely dependent on the presentation and time of day. Brown Trout have taken many different patterns. The Sparkle Minnow, Weir’s Sculpin, and Barely Legal are all great choices right now. Afternoon has typically been the best time to strip flies. As fish begin to move into slower water, Trout Spey techniques can be utilized with increasing success. Swinging both small streamers and soft hackles can be a great way to cover water in the fall! If you haven’t tried trout spey yet, come and in and let the staff fill you in. We have a great demo setup for you to rent, a Beulah 12′ 5wt with a RIO Scandi Lite line combo.

Flies we Suggest: Jigged CDC PT,Galloup’s Jig BWO, Psycho May, Mini Crayfish Jig, TJ Hooker, Spanish Bullet, Baetis Cripple, Parachute Adams, Purple Haze, Barely Legal, Sparkle Minnow, Weir’s Sculpin, Truckee River Dozen

Pyramid Lake

The Pyramid Lake season is off to a terrific start. While the lake experienced windy and wavy conditions on October 1, the following days fished well. With calm weather, boat fishing has been possible. Over the last few days, most fish have been seen at a depth range of 30-70 feet. Shore fishing is possible in the early and late hours of the day. These low light conditions provide an opportunity for Lahontan Cutthroat to feed in shallow water along the banks. Beaches with quick access to deep water will fish best. Beaches to the far north and south tend to offer deeper water close to the bank. If Tui Chub are jumping out of the water, cast in! They are most likely trying to get away from a hungry cutthroat.

Fly selection is centered around Tui Chub bait fish right now. Regardless of the depth you are fishing, fish a minnow pattern. The Marabou Super Jig is a great choice when fishing deep. This fly is tied on a quarter ounce jig head and gets down quickly. If you can see Lahontan Cutthroat working a Tui Chub bait ball, try flies that aren’t as heavy as vertical jigged patterns. In this scenario, the Tui Chub and Perch Fry work well fished on a sinking line. The fly itself doesn’t seem to matter as much as color. White, gray, tan, olive, brown, and black all have a time and place at Pyramid Lake. Bright sunny days typically necessitate a bright fly in white, gray, or tan. Alternatively, dark cloudy days warrant darker patterns with olive, brown, or black colors mixed in.

Flies we Suggest:  Marabou Super Jig, Tui Chub, Perch Fry, Complex Twist Bugger, Bellyache Minnow, Midnight Cowboy, Belly Ache Minnow

When fishing out of a watercraft, determining feeding depth will be very important to catching fish. In open water, trout have the freedom to feed at whatever depth they choose. A fish finder sonar system cuts out hours of guesswork- determining where and when fish are present and feeding. 

NEW Garmin Striker Cast with and without GPS

The Garmin Striker Cast and Striker Cast GPS are new products we are proud to carry going into the Pyramid Lake fishing season. The Striker Cast (available with and without GPS) is a castable sonar unit that syncs to your smartphone. You can hang the unit outside of the boat and tie it off- or attach it to a spin rod and cast the unit to a target zone. This will cut out the guess game in determining fish depth. Available in store and online. The Striker Cast is $129.95, while the Striker Cast GPS is $179.95. Free Shipping within the United States.