The flows have begun to taper off out of Lake Tahoe and the dam at Tahoe City is currently releasing 234 CFS. This will likely continue to drop in the coming weeks and there are predictions that the lake will once again be below its natural rim this fall causing there to be no water coming out of the lake making the upper river go dry once again. As flows on the upper river begin to drop the releases from Boca will hopefully increase and keep the canyon section fishable through the fall, as Boca still sits at nearly 100% capacity, but this is just a guess. With the lowering water along Glenshire drive we recommend fishing in the canyon where flows have been relatively stable for most of the summer. From Hirschdale to the Nevada state line, there are many river miles to explore and some great fishing to be had, just make sure you get out early and you’re off the water by mid-day or when water temps hit 68 degrees. Please carry a thermometer with you and check temps regularly at this time.

Summer means there’s a wide variety of bugs present, and your fly selection can reflect that. Don’t be afraid to try some curveball flies and see how fish react to them. The main bugs at the moment have been PMD’s, caddis, golden stones, crawdads, midges and BWO’s. Look for fish in faster moving water this time of year putting an emphasis on riffles and pocket water in the 2-5 foot range and running speed pace. When fishing this water type, be sure to use a lot of weight as getting down fast will be important when fishing short runs where fish will be concentrated in an area of 10-20 feet. This is where tight line nymphing will be incredibly effective, so don’t forget the euro rods if heading out here for the day.