Truckee River Nevada Fly Fishing

When John Freemont first came west in 1844, he came to what is now known as Wadsworth on the Truckee River. Freemont deemed the Truckee River the “River of Salmon” for the giant Lahontaan Cutthroats that once inhabited the river. Now the giant Lahontaan Cutthroats are gone, but in their place are big rainbows and giant browns.

The Lower Truckee River in Nevada starts through the special regulated water of Quilici Ranch in Verdi. From there, flowing through the west side of Reno to the east side of Sparks, the Nevada side of the Truckee River is one of the West’s best kept secrets. Though the Nevada side does fish well in the summer, the best fishing occurs in the fall, winter, and spring. The highlight of this section is the Nature Conservancy’s 14 mile stretch of unbelievable trout water. There has always been trout down in the desert, but in 2002, The Nature Conservancy added spawning areas and improved the riparian habitat to the old McCarran Ranch enabling trout to flourish.

Winter in the Washoe Valley brings many mild and sunny days. On a guided trip you can expect some good nymphing along with dry fly baetis and midge fishing. Early spring starts with an abundant and relatively undiscovered Skwala stonefly hatch bringing a lot of big fish to the surface. Late fall is prime time for catching a double digit brown on a streamer.

Come experience high desert fly fishing.