Cool fall water keeps Truckee and Tahoe trout in a feeding mood

What's next

The New Moon means dark nights and a quiet sky, and cold mornings tend to start slowly. Plan around the first couple of hours after sunrise and the last light of the evening. Midday sun usually warms shallow water a degree or two, so that is the window to fish a small nymph or midge near the bottom. Our readings were taken at 4 AM, so afternoon temperatures should run a touch above them.

Flow is the other thing to plan around. Gauge 10336730 is nearly dry at 0.05 cfs, so any water in that range will be skinny and clear. Stay back from the bank, use longer leaders and lighter tippet, and expect fish to spook easily. USGS gauge 10311000 shows 24.4 cfs, a moderate flow that gives fish more cover and lets you cover water with a streamer or a lure from the Wired 2 Fish list.

If nights stay cold, expect temperatures to hold in the upper 40s, which should keep the bite consistent.

Context

Mid-October in the Truckee and Tahoe area is typically well into the fall transition. Water has shed its summer warmth, trout are no longer pushed into deep, cold refuges, and the fish often feed more freely through the day than they did in August. Autumn is also when brown trout and brook trout typically begin spawning movements. Some waters carry seasonal closures or special rules at this time of year, so check current Nevada and California regulations before you go. Release spawning fish gently and avoid wading through gravel beds. Overall, conditions look on schedule for the season rather than early or late.