The Truckee River was originally home to Lahontan cutthroat trout and cui-ui sucker. During normal years, adult trout ascended from Pyramid Lake and descended from Lake Tahoe to the Truckee River and its tributaries to spawn. Thousands of young fish returned as natural recruitment to these large lakes. It was probable that some young and adult cutthroat trout also occurred in the river throughout the year. With the influx of white settlers in the mid- to late-1800’s, water was diverted for agriculture and municipal use, stream habitats were degraded, the river was over-fished, and other fish species were introduced. Extinction of the Pyramid Lake cutthroat trout had occurred by the 1930’s. While cutthroat trout numbers were dwindling, many different sport fish species were introduced and today, rainbow and brown trout have become the most successful.
View Map- Click Here
- Region
- Western
- County
- Washoe
- Type of water
- River
Fishing Report
Flows are down to 300 cfs through Reno and fishing should remain great until runoff gets heavy. Our extended cold weather should keep the river fishing very well through the end of winter. Keep in mind that our record snowfall will make the river unfishable for a period this spring. For now, insects are just coming back to life with mayflies hatching during the warmer parts of the day. BWO adults, emergers, and wet flies have been the best bet. Fly fisherman using streamers are also doing really well from Lockwood to USA parkway. Spin fisherman using slow moving plugs and jigs are picking up the occasional good fish.
02-14-2023Stocking Updates
| Stocked | Species | Inches | Date Stocked | Year to Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5022 | Cutthroat Trout | 8 | 04-21-2022 | 5022 |
| 5000 | Cutthroat Trout | 8.3 | 05-05-2022 | 10,022 |
| 5032 | Cutthroat Trout | 7.5 | 05-10-2022 | 15054 |
| 5500 | Cutthroat Trout | 8 | 05-12-2022 | 20554 |
| 5504 | Cutthroat Trout | 7.2 | 05-19-2022 | 26058 |
| 3080 | Cutthroat Trout | 7.2 | 05-25-2022 | 29138 |
| 5130 | Cutthroat Trout | 7.2 | 05-26-2022 | 34268 |
Pertinent Information
The Truckee River originates at the outlet of Lake Tahoe and flows approximately 110 miles to Pyramid Lake. NDOW manages approximately 40 miles of fisheries between the California State line and Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. This river is one of the most heavily fished waters in the state, supporting between 60,000 and 100,000 angler days per year. Anglers can fish for rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, and largemouth bass (in lower sections). High runoff from March to June makes fishing difficult, but once flows return to normal in summer, the river becomes easier to fish. Some of the best fishing occurs in late spring and early summer and again in fall. Nightcrawlers and Power Bait fished in large pools work great, and fly-fishing and using small spinners are very popular.