Truckee River Fly Fishing Report + Trout School
Matt Heron Reports on May 28th, 2026
TRUCKEE RIVER REPORT:
Wow, what a difference a few weeks makes. The time is now!
The Truckee River water temps are in the 40s in the morning and getting up the low 50s by the afternoon. Although most of us consider mid 50s to be prime, it’s pretty damn close, especially for late May.
Fish are finally starting to consistently move into summer holding lies in fast water. We’re now at the point were every run in the river is open for business. Don’t overlook anything!
As a guide, I absolutely love this time of year because we can now broaden our horizons after fishing the same runs for months when the water was colder. Game on!
Flows from Truckee to Boca are 533-700cfs. depending on temperatures and time of day. The canyon at the Farad gauge is ranging from 970-1,100cfs.
The river color is clear, to slightly off color throughout the entire system. Again, it’s in really good shape.
LITTLE TRUCKEE RIVER REPORT:
Not much has changed on the Little Truckee River since our last report. It’s still running quite high for the end of May. The flows have been consistently around 350cfs for weeks now. Many consider this to be “flood” stage. Be careful when wading, use a wading staff if you have one and watch out for spawning rainbows. There are still a few dozen fish actively spawning on redds, especially at the upper parking lot.
Look for fish in the seams, deep water and maybe even the riffles if you see any bugs hatching.
You may get lucky and find some fish on dries, but the hatches have been limited. Baetis mayflies seem to be the most prolific with March browns being second. We’re also seeing a handful of caddis around too.
Water temps are very similar to the Truckee, mid 40s to low 50s.
Also, there are a lot of rainbows on spawning gravel right now. If you see fish in shallow riffles or on cleared out redds, please enjoy the view, and keep walking.
FLY SELECTION:
Luckily, we’re pretty much throwing the same flies on both rivers right now and not much has changed since the last report.
Attractors- Eggs, worms, Rubberlegs, leeches, crayfish (not on the LT).
Droppers- Baetis 16-18s, March browns 16s, skwalas 10s, PMD's 16's, tan caddis 16's and 18's and any assortment of olive and black Perdigons are working.
Although we haven’t seen any grasshoppers yet, hopper-dropper rigs are kicking down a lot of fish right now.
Streamers- Definitly have the streamer rod ready with these flows, especially on the cloudy rainy days like we’ve been having. The fish are willing to chase anything, from a small leach to streamers 3-4 inches in length have been doing the trick. Pause your retrieve!
Trout Spey- We’ve had a blast throwing the trout Spey around a few times in the last few weeks. Try size 14-16 soft hackles and olive streamers.
The Baetis and March browns on the Truckee have been around 1pm or so and are very localized to certain spots. That said, they don’t seem to be as prolific as they were a few weeks ago.
It’s finally getting warm in Truckee, keep any eye out for carpenter ants too!
No surprises here, most fish are coming on bobber and Euro rigs, hopper-droppers, then streamers and trout spey, with dry flies rounding out the techniques.
SUMMER OUTLOOK:
In the near future, Truckee will be warm. We may get a push of runoff in coming weeks. Check back soon or on social media for reports.
I also saw PMD's on the Truckee River this week and two on the Little Truckee River. It’s early for adults, but they are starting.
This is the first time in 25 years Tahoe and the Truckee River have had 100% snowpack or more, 3 years in a row. Needless to say this summer should be one for the books. If you’re looking to get out with a guide while you’re in town, book it as soon as you know your dates! Summer bookings are looking strong already, and you don’t what to miss out!
Click the image below to contact Lu, she’ll take care of the rest.
PS- Looking to catch more fish? Check out our Truckee Trout School openings.
-Matt
