Tailwater · Mixed · Northern California

Little Truckee River

Little Truckee River venue image
Google Places

A short, cold ribbon of a tailwater squeezed between Stampede and Boca reservoirs, and it fishes far bigger than it looks.

Species

A proper day on the water

River steady at a fishable height. A proper day for it.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature8228% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
0.69 m
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
24°C
Wind
SW 18 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1016 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • CDFW season; verify the regulated-reach rules
  • Flow tracks Stampede/Boca releases.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

A short, cold ribbon of a tailwater squeezed between Stampede and Boca reservoirs, and it fishes far bigger than it looks. Stable releases keep it cool when the freestones are cooking, so the wild rainbows and browns stack into the runs and riffles and feed with confidence. It's a technical little stream — fine tippet, careful wading, hatch-matching on the flats — and when the blue-wings or the PMDs come off it can be as good as anything in the Sierra. Just watch the release schedule, because the whole character of the place rides on it.

  • Mixed
Seasons & zones
  • TroutLast Saturday in April → 15 November
Other water nearby · 4