The Truckee River is fishing well for anglers who are comfortable with spring flows. Some sections remain big, especially below the major inflows, but those higher flows also create predictable holding water along edges, inside seams, soft pockets and slower current breaks along the edges. Above the Boca confluence, conditions have generally been more approachable for wading, while lower river sections may require a more cautious approach, floating the river in these lower sections is the way to go.

Fish are feeding well as water temperatures climb. The best window has generally been late morning through the afternoon, especially after cooler nights. Nymphing with enough weight to get down remains the most reliable method, but streamers and dry-dropper approaches are becoming more productive as the river transitions toward early summer.

Current Hatch Activity

• Blue Winged Olives: Still a producer on cooler, cloudy or unsettled days.
• Green Drakes: Showing up more and more each day and worth matching with nymphs or emergers.These patterns are great for a weighted point fly when euro nymphing.
• PMDs: Beginning to ramp up and should become increasingly prevalent moving into June.
• Caddis: Evening activity is improving, especially on warmer days in the upper section of the river. On the lower sections of the river caddis are begining to hatch in numbers from mid morning on.
• Carpenter Ants: A strong late-spring option, especially near banks and soft edges. A large ant pattern is a great option for a top fly when running a hopper dropper rig.
• Crawdads and Small Streamers: Becoming a solid option now, especially for larger fish. We most success dead drifting these patterns.

Flows are still elevated in places, but the river remains very fishable with the right approach. Higher water can make wading more difficult, but it also pushes trout into more defined seams and gives anglers a better chance to target slower moving edges and structure.

Float fishing remains the best option when flows are high. Anglers should continue checking live gauges before committing to a section, especially because spring flows can change quickly with weather, runoff and reservoir releases.

• Slower seams next to heavier current
• Edges and slower pockets during higher flows
• Walking-speed riffles and transitional water
• Pocket water around rocks and structure
• Deeper buckets when the sun is high

Fish the edges before you step in: In higher spring flows, many trout move into softer water that is much closer to the bank than most anglers expect. Before wading deep, cover the inside seam, foam line and slower edge water with a properly weighted nymph rig or a streamer. Keep an eye on the enviornment, if the birds are active somthing is hatching, screen the water and match the hatch. This time of year brings many types of bugs over the course of the day, pay attention and change often.

As we move toward June, expect PMDs and caddis to become the main hatch, and dry fly opportunities to improve as flows continue to settle. This is one of the best seasonal transitions on the Truckee River, with strong nymphing, streamer potential and increasingly consistent surface activity all possible on the same day.