Fly Fishing the Truckee River

Born out of Lake Tahoe at 6,000 feet and tumbling more than 100 miles into the Nevada desert, the Truckee is one of the West's most storied wild-trout rivers. The spring Skwala hatch draws serious anglers, the PMD and caddis hatches of early summer push fish to the surface, and fall baetis fishing can be outstanding, all within reach of the I-80 corridor.

9 shops nearby

See fly shops ↓

When to fish

Late April–November 15

Best months: April–November

Best
Off-peak

Skwala Stonefly: March–April. Caddis: early summer through fall.

Today's conditions

Where to fish

Along the Truckee River

Hirschdale1 shopTruckee2 shops

Sierraville1 shopOlympic Valley1 shop

The Truckee offers excellent public access along most of its length via I-80 corridor turnouts and riverside paths. Key spots include Glenshire Drive area, Crystal Peak Park near the CA/NV border, multiple Reno city parks linked by a walking/biking path, and lower access at Lockwood and Mustang exits. Note: 3 miles between Union Mills and Glenshire bridges are controlled by the San Francisco Fly Casting Club (private).

The water

Freestone

Key hatches

Blue-Winged Olive
Green Caddis
Mahogany Dun
March Brown
Pale Morning Dun

Hatch calendar

Conditions

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6-day forecast

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Forecast from the National Weather Service ↗

Hatch calendar

Months each hatch is active on the Truckee River, with hook sizes and local timing notes.
Hatch · hook	M	J	J	A	S	O
Blue-winged Olive(mayflies)hook #12–18spring and fall, extended fall hatches	May	June	July	August	September	October
Green Caddis(caddis)hook #12–18	May	June	July	August	September
Mahogany Dun(mayflies)hook #14–18	May	June	July
March Brown(mayflies)hook #12–14	May
Pale Morning Dun(mayflies)hook #14–18late spring–early summer	May	June	July	August
Slate Drake(mayflies)hook #10–12	May
Western Green Drake(mayflies)hook #10	May	June	July
Grannom(caddis)hook #10–18		June	July	August	September	October
Sulphur(mayflies)hook #14–18		June	July
October Caddis(caddis)hook #6–8					September	October