Middle Fork Feather River and Truckee River Fishing Report 4-7-25

Middle Fork Feather River

Fly fishing the Middle Fork Feather River has been up and down with the recent fluctuations in flows. Strong spring storms have brought much needed moisture to the Northern Sierra set us up for a nice spring and early summer season. The graph above illustrates the flow regime as of late. when the flows are atop above 600cfs and the visibility is less than a foot, fishing has been tough. When the flows dropped below 300cfs and cleared to 2′ plus of visibility the fishing was very good. We are currently dropping and clearing so I expect the fishing to improve again in the very near future.

Before the latest rise in flows we were catching fish on a variety of methods. After a slow period, the Trout Spey rig really started working when the water temps bumped up into the low 50’s. Dry fly, dry/dropper, and nymphing techniques also accounted for landed fish. Very good BWO hatches the past few weeks from 1-3pm with a smattering of march brown mayflies in the mix as well. Skwala’s are out and fish are looking up for them so a well presented imitation is getting eaten on the surface.

What’s Working

Nymphs: Plastic Surgeon (14-16), Electrolyte Baetis (14-16), Crystal Warrior (14-16), Raindrop Perdigon (14-16), Rubberleg’s olive, brown (8-10) Simple Skwala (10) Dries: Sparkle Flag BWO (18-20), Film Critic (14-18), Parachute Adams (14-20), Parachute BWO (14-18) Chubby Chernobyl tan (10), Bullet Head Skwala (10) Streamers: Dolly Llama olive/white (8), Sculpzilla (8-10), Prospector Spey (10)

Truckee River

The Truckee River remains cold and clear but is fishing very well. Flows in town are around 200cfs and 540 cfs at Boca. Visibility is good and the bugs are very active mid afternoon when water temps rise a few degrees. We are catching a mixture of wild rainbows, cuttbows, Fly Casters stockers, brown trout and Mt Whitefish on every outing with the average size ranging 12-14″ and a few from 16-18″. I am still concentrating on the slower deeper water before the hatch and then transition to more riffly type water as the hatch gets going. All methods are working with the majority of my time spent fishing a dry dropper rig with a Skwala stonefly dry and a baetis nymph underneath. I haven’t been fishing streamers or trout Spey on the Truckee but can imagine that they will work.

Please use caution when wading the Truckee right now. Rainbow trout are spawning and several redds’ are visible in shallow water. As seen in the photo above, the cleared out gravel is easy to see and therefore easier to avoid fishing and wading around them. Let the fish do their thing to make the next generation of Truckee River trout.

What’s Working

Nymphs: Crystal Warrior (14-16), Electrolyte Baetis (14-16), Plastic Surgeon (14-16), Jigged Pheasant Tail (14-16), Rubberlegs olive, brown (8-10), Simple Skwala (10) Dries: Sparkle Flag BWO(18-20), Film Critic BWO (16-18), Parachute Adams (14-20), Chubby Chernobyl tan (10), Bullet head Skwala (10)