Nevada Fishing Reports

Mackinaw season is in full swing at Tahoe, and the big fish are showing up. Guides and locals have been consistently putting giant macks in the net over the past month, targeting 120–150 feet of water with 1–2 oz. minnow-style jigs or trolling live minnows / flashers.

On the east side, the rainbow and brown trout bite has been very good as well... in the top 30 feet. Boat anglers and shore casters alike are working Rapalas along rocky structure and finding quality fish. NDOW also stocked cutthroat last week. Look for the Kokanee bite to pick up in another few weeks.

The Truckee is back to cold, clear, stable winter flows after recent storms. Trout are spread into soft, slow water… tailouts, subtle seams, and bubble lines. Small midges and baetis dominate right now, with fish keyed on size over movement. Indicator nymphing is the most effective approach given how slow and specific these holding zones are. Streamers can still produce, but only with very slow, deliberate presentations in soft water rather than aggressive retrieves.

Tahoe is set for some snow next week, but it shouldn’t put a damper on what’s been a good bite for both Mackinaw and rainbows. Over the last few weeks, Macks were holding very deep during spawn (250 ft), but that’s just about wrapped now. They’re starting to move up shallow, chasing schools of minnows. Rainbows are cruising high in the water column, too. Trolling is still the go-to, but shore casters are finding both Macks and rainbows as well. Brown trout action has been quiet, but the occasional cutthroat is being caught. Hopefully, the kokanee spawn fires up soon, though flows out of Taylor Creek are looking low... next week's weather pattern could help.

Tahoe’s fall transition is setting in, with water temps in the low 60s and crisp weather dropping morning lows into the 30s. The kokanee season is just about wrapped... most fish have turned, though a few chrome stragglers are still showing deep off the south shore. Mackinaw are the main draw now, holding between 50 and 150 feet across zones like Cal Neva Hole, South Lake, and the west shore, with bigger plugs and jigged minnows pulling fish into the teens. Trout are active too, running deep for trollers around 100 feet but also cruising in tighter into the shallows for early morning shore anglers. Tourist season is over, and boat pressure is light.

Lake Tahoe’s late August bite has been centered on kokanee, which are grouped primarily on the south end right now, mostly 70 to 100 feet down near Baldwin Beach and Taylor Creek. Most fish are running 13 to 14 inches, with a few bigger. Small spoons and spinners are working best early, before the sun and boat traffic slow things down.

Mackinaw are a bit scattered and are even deeper... 80 to 140 feet. Folks are finding them on jigged minnows or trolled plugs, but action is hit-or-miss, and not many big fish have been reported. Brown trout are deep as well, occasionally hitting Rapalas. Rainbows and cutthroat are still being caught on spinners and bait on the east shore.

After 9-10 am, the action drops off for all fishing regardless of species.

Ken's Sporting Goods mentions The East Walker is sitting at 132 cfs and still fishing well, but rising daytime temps mean anglers should keep an eye on water temps and start planning around cooler windows. Best bet right now is to focus on the early morning before the sun bakes the water and come back for the evening session when things settle down. Streamers like sculpzillas, double bunnies, and dead-drifted crayfish are doing work early, but as the light comes up, it’s time to switch over to nymphs. Midges, pheasant tails, hare’s ears, flashback emergers, and copper Johns are all solid choices through the midday stretch. The Miracle Mile section is starting to wake up again with more fish sliding back in, offering some fresh opportunities there. Evenings are lighting up with caddis hatches and dry fly takes, with elk hair caddis, E/C caddis, chubby Chernobyls, and parachute Adams all in the mix.

Kokanee are starting to pop along the south end of the lake, with schools holding between 50 and 75 feet. Some are already stretching to 14 inches, and there’s word of even bigger fish starting to mix in up to 18 inches. Best results are coming on Flashers pulling Wedding Rings.

Lake trout are a mixed bag right now. Some days they’re chewing, some days you’ll grind for every bite. Live bait has been key, whether you’re trolling, jigging, or drifting between 85 and 120 feet. A few double digit fish have been landed in the past couple weeks, so the size is there.

Rainbows are cruising the shallows, and browns up to 5 pounds are showing, but the cutthroat scene has gone quiet. Most of the trout bite outside of macks is sitting up high in the top 30 feet.

Matt Heron reports the Truckee River is in prime shape with steady dropping flows and perfect water temps holding in the 50s, briefly touching the low 60s in the afternoons. Clarity is excellent, and the canyon below Boca, though still pushing 1,000 CFS, is fishing well if you can handle fast water. The hatch is wide open... golden stones, yellow sallies, PMDs (size 16 emergers), and caddis. The green drakes are drawing quality fish to the surface, and blind casting size 10–12 dries is getting fish even without visible rises. Bobber rigs, dry droppers, and euro nymphing are all effective in fast pockets, but euro nymphing is the best play right now and will likely stay that way through summer.