We are hosting a fly tying contest to celebrate the flies of Pyramid Lake and its fly tiers. The event is free to enter and everyone has a chance to win several prizes including a full day guided fly-fishing trip to Pyramid Lake. Enter your flies between now and December 15^th for a chance to win.

How to enter:

• Tie your best Pyramid Lake fly. Something from the past, one you caught a big fish on or a new fly you want to try out. It does not matter.
• Fill out the entry form by clicking on the link here and mail your fly to the address given to you. All entries must be received by December 15^th.

Prizes: We have many sponsors on board to help out with the event including: Umpqua Feather Merchants, Malo’o, Go Pro, Bucket List Fly Fishing, Adamsbuilt, Simms and more

Not a fly tier? Get a free Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing Sticker – Fill out the entry form above as a non-participant and you will receive a free sticker

Live Broadcasts: Join us for a Zoom fly tying experience on December 5^th at 5:00 pm PST with Rob Anderson and learn how to tie the famous Maholo Nymph and how to tie with Bug Bands. Rob Anderson has been a commercial fly tier and designer for Umpqua Feather Merchants for over 15 years.

Live Finale: December 19^th at 5:00 on Youtube and Zoom. We will be judging the flies, picking the winners and handing out the prizes. Prizes include: a full day trip for two to Pyramid Lake with Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing guide Chris Hallmark and an Umpqua Feather Merchants Chest Pack loaded with tools and a fly box with over $300 worth of Pyramid flies.

Care&Share Charity awareness

During the event we will be telling a story of an 11 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy living in a village shack in the middle of the Amazon Jungle. Bucket List Fly Fishing has a campaign going to help this amazing kid and his family. All of the flies entered into the contest will be loaded into an Umpqua Feather Merchants fly box and auctioned off during the event. Proceeds will go directly to our campaign.

Fundraiser by Rob Anderson : Care&Share Amazon (gofundme.com)

The first official report since the lake opened on November 2^nd has the lake in great shape. Anglers have enjoyed days with success and some struggles. Sounds like Pyramid! The weather over the past couple of weeks and the weather forecast for the next month should bring some good opportunities to catch some fish.

As of November 11^th, the surface water temperatures are 57 degrees. The lake is in transition from the warm waters of summer and early fall to the cold-water temperatures of winter. This is a little warmer for this time of year than usual. This has kept the float tube and pontoon bite going. There are some fish still cruising in 20-30 feet of water and stripping Wooly’s and Balanced Minnows along the bottom has been highly effective. This pattern should last for another couple of weeks until the water temperature drops more, and the thermocline breaks up even further. Shore fisherman are also having some great fishing. The water has dropped below 60 degrees around the edges and the Tui Chub minnows have made their fall migration back into deep water for the winter. As this happens fish tend to follow them out and then seem to return once they are gone. The beaches with deeper drop offs have had the best reports which is also normal for the fall. Anglers are catching fish stripping Midnight Cowboy Wooly worms and Loco Tadpoles. The indicator bite is also worth a shot. Maholo nymphs and Midges are doing very well and on days with more wind and chop, Balanced Leeches are also very effective. Look for the fall bite to only get better over the next couple of weeks and continue into December until it starts to really effect the water temperatures.

Pyramid Lake

Pyramid Lake is temporarily closed to fishing and should remain closed for the rest of the season which ends June 30th. The entire Pyramid lake Paiute Reservation is actually closed to Non-Tribal members to all activities until further notice due to the Covid-19 situation.
We are very hopeful that the lake will open to the public and resume normal activities in time for the season opener on October 1st. As always, we will keep everyone updated as more information is available through social media including our Facebook page (Pyramid Lake Fly Fishing), our newsletters and websites.

Please everyone be respectful of the decisions of the tribe to do what is considered right to protect the tribal members, their elders and the non-tribal residents of the Sutcliff area.

Since the lake is closed we included our full fishing report for the area to help with other places to fish.

Truckee River – Open to fishing in both Nevada and California.

The Truckee is in spring run-off mode, however with very little snowpack over the winter the effects are minimal. The latest storm which moved through the area over the past few days has taken its toll on the flows but is most likely a short-term issue. Overall, the flows are fishable although still high from the run-off and high elevation snowmelt. Fish the edges in slower water, deeper pools and tail-outs. The Nevada side, due to its lower elevation usually fishes a little better in the early spring. Midges are already hatching in the slow water areas and fish are feeding and catchable. As the spring rolls on, the flows will continue to drop, the water will start to warm and the normal spring bugs will start to appear. The caddis hatch could start East of town in a week or two. It will then make its yearly migration up the river and last into late June. Nymphing is a great way to go right now. Smaller bugs in sizes 16-18 will match the midge hatch but the fish are very opportunistic right now and eat larger flies as well. The key is getting your flies down to the fish in higher water and a good dead drift. Streamer fishing is also worth a try, swinging larger weighted flies through deep runs and tail-outs. The middle of the day is the best time to be on the water right now. Flows are: Town of Truckee 367 CFS, Boca Bridge 1770 CFS, Farad 1890, Reno 1720 and Vista 1780. These flows are going to drop substantially in the next few days as the effects of rain and snow diminish.

East Walker River

Flows on the East Walker are 120 CFS. This is absolutely perfect for any time of year. The East Walker is a tailwater and has not been affected by the latest storm system. At 120 CFS the river is primed for fishing. These flows make it easy to wade and cross the river and enough water to approach runs without spooking fish. Basically, see you down there!!! High Sticking the edges of larger pools is a great way to go and indicator nymphing is also going to be good. Just make sure you get your flies to the fish and get a good drift. Bead head nymphs in sizes 14-18 should do the trick. Most generic patterns are worth a try and if you have a favorite by all means tie it on. 4X-5X tippet is also a good way to go.

East Carson River

The East Carson is definitely more effected by run-off and storms right now. Before the storm the flows are diving fast and already down to 400 CFS. They should be back to somewhere in that range in a few days. That is still on the high side for the East Carson but fishable for sure. That much water means fishing the edges from dry ground in most cases. The runs will be fast and the fish will be in slower water for a while. High Sticking is a great way to start with some heavier flies and some split shot. When the flows come back down look for the bug activity to take off. Baetis, Midges, caddis and Little Yellow Stones are all coming soon.

Davis Lake

Davis is in early spring mode. Fish are holding close to creek channels and in coves and even shallow water already. We have some warm weather coming again in a few days and as the water warms look for blood midges to appear. This will be the time you want to fish Albino Wino’s under an indicator in 4-10 feet of water. Soon after the Callabaetis will start to pop and then before you know it the Damsels will be on their yearly migration to shallow water. Just like every year at Davis you have to fish the conditions and with the bugs that are available. For now, look to the indicator game and have Midges, Baetis and Damsels all ready to hang.

Frenchman’s Reservoir

Midges are already out in force at Frenchman’s and the Callabaetis are also starting to pop. Frenchman’s has always been more of an indicator lake compared to Davis and right now is no exception. It is really hard to beat a two-fly rig in 6-10 feet of water right now with a Maholo Nymph on top and a Zebra Midge like a Banded Midge in red, olive or black on the bottom. Keep varying your depths until you find where the fish are holding because it can be different on any day.

There are a bunch more fishable waters in our area right now. To name a few there is Boca Reservoir, Stampede, the Little Truckee River, Maryland’s pond, Sparks marina, Hinkson Slough and the West Walker.
Although we are still adapting to our situation due to Covid-19 it is possible to have a safe day on the water if you use good judgement. Please be respectful of others while you are out and get some fresh air and enjoy some outdoor time.

March is here and so are the people and the fish. Every year anglers come from all over the country in March to chase the fish of a lifetime. The conditions this year are much drier than the past few years and there are a lot of high pressure sunny calm days. Even though this is the “advertised Peak of the Season” there are plenty of slow days ahead. Pyramid has been going through some changes in the past few years and is turning into more of a trophy fishery. Numbers of fish are way down due to new stocking practices. The same flies are working on cloudy days with some wind and chop. For stripping try White Ghost Tadpoles, Midnight Cowboy Woolybuggers and Chartreuse and White beetles. For the Floating line set-ups, Albino Wino’s, Copper Wino’s and Copper Tigers in size 12 are hard to beat. If you are local play the weather game and fish early and late. If you are coming from out of town then cross your fingers you get some weather while you are in town. Ex Fisheries Bioligist Mike Sevon will be giving a detailed presentation on the fishing at Pyramid Lake and what we can expect in the near future at the 7th Annual Pyramid Lake Celebration on April 10th. If you are not signed up do so soon. This event will surely sell out with Mike once again being the guest speaker.

For More Information on the Event click on this Link

Late February at the lake and so far, so good. The spring fishing seems to be in full swing already with little or no cold weather and or precipitation soon. The water temperature is already 47 degrees which is probably a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. We could still have a cold snap and slow things down also. Tons of big fish have been caught in February which is normal over the past few years. With more Pilot Peak Strain fish in the lake than ever before the average size of the fish just keeps growing. (No pun intended). The downside of that is there are way less fish in the lake and way way less Summit Lake Strain Cutty’s so numbers of fish being caught is down again and could get worse with only one hatchery raising Summits. Pyramid is turning into a less fish per day trophy fishery. Fish are being caught all over the lake which is one of the benefits of the Pilot Peak Strain Fish. They seem to not congregate lake the Summits. They are all over. It is a matter of putting in your time and being ready when you get the opportunity. For Shooting heads – The old standards are still hard to beat like the Midnight Cowboy, Martini Olive wooly worms and Loco Tadpoles in all white or Chartreuse and white. For Indicator rigs Maholo Nymphs and Midges are working well. Try Albino Wino’s, and UPS’s. Also try Red Wine Banded Midges and GT’s. All of these flies are in size 10-12 and can be found on our online store www.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com

We have had a pretty good start to the winter fishing on Pyramid. The numbers of fish being caught are low but there are some nice sized fish being caught. The lake has been going through some changes over the last few years due to water levels and the fish stocking program. It appears the lake is turning into a more trophy fish fishery with way less numbers. The weather is still playing a part in the fishing at the lake with cloudy choppy days being the best. Water temps are approaching the winter lows and there are just not a lot of fish around the shoreline. Maholo Nymphs in Red and Black are working well as are Maholo Midges in Wine and Brown. Stripping Midnight Cowboys and White Ghost Tadpoles are also catching fish. The random big fish are being caught all day and there really is not a certain time to target. Just get out there and fish. The same goes for location. There are fish being caught just about anywhere. Look for this pattern to hold true until at least med February.

The lake is fishing pretty good for late October. Usually there is a lull in the fishing after the first couple weeks of the season until the water cools in mid November. Everything seems to be happening early this fall. The shore fishing is already picking up and should be good until we start to see the water really cool down sometime in mid December. This is a great time to get out to the lake and target the new Pilot Peak Strain of Cutthroat Trout. For those of you who only fish indicator rigs in the spring it is time to rethink your strategy. We have been getting clients into really nice fish under the indo already. Mid mornings to mid afternoons have been the best time to be on the water for sure. Nymphs and Midges to try include Maholo Nymphs in all colors, Albino Wino’s, Copper Wino’s and UPS midges for a bottom fly as well as size 8 Pyramid Lake Balanced Leeches. For shooting head set-ups try Midnight Cowboy Wooly Worms, Martini Olive Wooly Worms and White Ghost Tadpoles. We have plenty of openings over the next month for anyone wanting a guide and to learn our secrets for this time of year.

The lake closes for the summer at the end of June. Normally by this time of year we have forgotten about Pyramid and have moved on to other area waters. This season with all the high water on the area streams we have spent way more time on Pyramid later in the spring. WOW have we been rewarded!

The fishing at Pyramid has been outstanding for pretty much all of May and now into June. We have been having 10-30 fish days and catching some really big fish. The new Pilot Peak Strain of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout has really changed the early and late season fishing at Pyramid. The techniques we teach and use in October at the lake are working very well in May and June. The surface temperatures in the lake are warming and the food and the fish are staging in deeper water. Pontoon Boats are the most effective way to attack this time of year with a heavy sinking line fishing in 20-30 feet of water. The Pyramid Lake Balanced Minnow in all 5 colors is our go to fly and a must if you are headed to the lake. Get there early to avoid the heat but fish can be caught all day. Be careful if you are floating in the lake and have an anchor, a whistle and try not to fish alone.

The lake continues to produce some huge Cutthroat Trout. Like we said in our February event at the Nugget, the numbers this year would be down which has been the case almost all season. This is due to the new stocking format of more Pilot Peak strain fish and less Summit Lake strain fish. There is simply less fish in the lake. The trade off has been the best big fish season probably ever.

The cold March and early April we have had has slowed down the spring fishing but has lengthened the season. The water temperatures are just now above 50 degrees and the conditions are great. That being said, this time of year there are a lot of sunnier blue bird glass days which make the fishing mid-day close to impossible. Windy days are producing good numbers of fish and should for another few weeks at least. The spawn is on at the hatchery and there are plenty of fish in the spawning channel. There are a lot of fish cruising in right near shore in a foot of water and plenty of fish out deeper as well. If you are going to strip flies with a shooting head cut back to one fly and strip really slow. There are a lot of fish getting snagged due to the large numbers of fish near shore. Shite Beetles and Tadpoles are working well. For nymphing and midging it is that time of year to downsize your flies and tippet. 3X tippet and size 12-14 flies will catch more fish for sure. Early morning and late evenings are the best time to be on the lake and will probably be that way going forward except for good windy days.

Pyramid Lake Report 2/5/19:

The Lake has been fishing really well with the mild winter we are having. Lake surface temps are around 43-45*F. But look for it to slow down with the cold snap that is hitting this week and the possibility of the lake turning over when temps hits 41*F on the surface. Fish have been starting to get into early pre-spawn and are cruising mid-day with over cast skies and some chop on the water. On clear days look for the fish in deeper water. The Stripping bite has been really good in the low light hours, pre-dawn and after sun set, while Indicator has been the main productive way to go through out the day.

Midges have been our top producers: Copper Tops, PMS, GT’s have been the most consistent patterns that the fish want. Don’t be afraid to switch up frequently to find out what the fish want!

Balance Leeches and Minnows have been good in the first seeable light (to which you can see the indicator) to about an hour after sunrise. Best Balance Leech has been the Black and Blue or the Olive.

Stripping early morning or after sun set, the midnight cowboy and black beetles or tadpoles have been the way to go. In the shallower waters don’t be afraid to use a floating line or clear intermediate, just a bugger or deep-water bugger to get it down but keeping off the bottom.

February 15th Pyramid Lake Celebration Update

Hey Folks, Rob Anderson here. I just got back from a month in Brazil to find the event in really good shape. Prizes are rolling in, we have a great guest speaker and signups are going well for both the Friday night free Celebration at the Nugget and the Saturday clinic at Pyramid Lake. I sent an email out today to all who have signed up for the event to date. If you did not receive this email from me, I do not have you signed up yet. If you would like to attend either of the events please send me an email to rob@bucketlistflyfishing.com with the names of who would like to attend. The Event starts at 5:00 pm and the Presentations etc. will begin at 6:00 pm

Guest Speaker

the activities on the lower Truckee River as well as a summary of the Pyramid Lake work with the Utah State Fish Ecology Lab. This Presentation is full of all kind of Data and cool info for Pyramid Lake anglers. There will also be some time for questions and answers. We are lucky to have landed Erik Hogan from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Erik will be speaking on

Big Fish Picture Contest(s) There are two separate contests this year

This is our 5th year having this contest and once again we have some great prizes for the winners. Simply email a full-size picture of a released fish caught on a fly rod this season that is between 10-14 pounds for the 1st contest. One entry per person please. The 2nd contest is for fish 15 pounds and over. Multiple entries are o.k. for the 15 pounds and over contest. Email to rob@bucketlistflyfishing.com with weight, date caught and anglers name You must be signed up for the February 15th event and be present to win. (some restrictions apply for both contests) Deadline to send in pics is February 13th.

Fly Tying Contest

Also, in its 5th year. There will be some cool prizes as usual. Tie your best Pyramid Fly before the event and bring it in a Ziploc Bag to the Event with your name. We will pic a couple of Judges at the event and pic out the winners.

Saturday February 16th Clinic

As always, our guides will be hosting a day on the lake for our newer Pyramid lake anglers. We still have about 5 spots open for the clinic. We will spend the day fishing the lake and learning tried and true techniques, places to fish, rigging, casting, fly patterns etc. etc. We will have some demo equipment to try as well. This event sells out every year so if you are interested please send an email to rob@bucketlistflyfishing.com to sign up. The cost of the clinic is $125 and includes everything from a hot shore lunch to a goody bag with some fishing supplies for the lake.

Prizes

The list of prizes is big again this year and more are still coming in.
There will be a free raffle for attending if you signed up via email as well as a paid raffle in which the proceeds will benefit a local charity called Amplify life. This is our 4th year working with this fantastic charity. We will except cash or checks for the paid raffle. Tickets will once again be $10 each, 6 tickets for $50 and 13 for $100
to rob@bucketlistflyfishing.com with weight, date caught and anglers name
Here are some of the highlights on the Prize List so far

Grand Prize – Sage Ignitor Rod and Sage Spectrum Max reel and a Rio fly line

Other prizes
Redington Predator 8 weight and a Redington Rise Reel and floating line
Outcast Float Tube and Fins
Galvan T-8 Reel
Winston Kairos 7 weight Rod with and Scientific Anglers Reel and line
A loaded down Fishpond Chest Pack from Blaine Willis

Numerous guided fly-fishing trips as always from a variety of local guides around California and Nevada.
And prizes from other sponsors including Adamsbuilt, Costa, Fly Fishing Specialties, Umpqua Feather Merchants, Simms, Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters and more.

The recent cold weather has started to change the conditions at Pyramid. The fishing is starting to slow down for numbers but there are quite a few big fish still being caught. The colder water which is now in the mid to high 40’s has sent a lot of the fish into deeper warmer water. The flats and shallow beaches that were holding fish are getting really slow. The best spots to fish continue to be areas where you can access deep drop offs. Fish in these areas are being caught on just about all the normal Pyramid Patterns either stripping with a fast sinking line or hanging flies such as balanced leeches, nymphs and midges under an indicator. It is still a big fish time of year but the grabs are getting fewer and farther between. There is also a pretty good bite the last 45 minutes of the day after the sun gets behind the mountains. Fish can still be found just about anywhere this time of day and some of the sandy beaches and flats are a great place to finish out the day stripping Wooly’s and Tadpoles on a fast sinking line or balanced Minnows and Leeches on a floating line. This pattern should remain for the foreseeable future at Pyramid. This is very normal for this time of year with the exception of there are more and more big fish being caught. Flies to not leave home without include: Olive Martinis, Bloody Marys, Midnight Cowboys, White Ghost Tadpoles For shooting heads. Size 8 Pyramid Lake Balanced Leeches and size 4 Balanced Minnows in Black and Blue, Olive and Root beer. Maholo Midges and Nymphs in 10 and 12. All of these flies can be found on our website https://www.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com/plfstore/

Pyramid continues to put out some big fish. This time of year, is maybe the best for a chance to catch that “Fish of a Lifetime”. The fish are very “Hot” right now as well. Fish in the 5-8-pound range are probably the most aggressive and it is not uncommon to have a fish this size take you into your backing. The surface water temperatures are still in the low to mid 50’s but they are steadily dropping. The next few weeks should continue to be outstanding at Pyramid. You need to have both a fast sinking shooting head and a floating line with either an indicator or set up to strip nymphs as well. Fish are being caught on all techniques all over the lake. The only technique that is a little limited is stripping nymphs with a floating line. You really need to be on more shallow beaches to have success here. The South end of the lake continues to produce and be the most popular place to fish. The water is deeper here and it is not much of an issue to be able to fish past the drop off. You need to let your shooting heads sink a little more down south to get near the bottom. For Indicator rigs 9-10 feet down seems to be the way to go. Some of the shallower beaches or beaches you cannot reach the drop off are producing some fish in the early morning or especially the last hour before dark. The most productive flies for shooting heads are Martini Olive Wooly Worms, White Ghost Tadpoles, Chartreuse and White Tadpoles, Midnight Cowboy Wooly Worms and even Balance Minnows in White, Olive or Black. For the Indicator rigs, Albino Wino’s are really working well already as well as Red Maholo Nymphs, Red Wine Midges, Copper Tiger Midges and Black, Olive or White Balanced Leaches. We have all of these flies in stock on our online store and they are all locally designed and tied by our Pyramid Lake Guides. WWW.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com

Pyramid is on fire after a few weeks of flow fishing. The water temperatures have cooled enough to bring fish back in close to shore. There have been quite a few big fish caught in the last week. It is still day to day but it is worth doing for sure. This week is going to give us some very cold overnight lows and it is going to be really chilly in the early mornings. This time of year, with this type of weather pattern the late morning to last light bite is the way to go. The deeper drop off beaches have been doing the best but fish are being caught all over the lake. Some anglers are stripping Wooly’s and Tadpoles along the bottom but believe it or not the indicator bite has been the best. Hanging a Pyramid Lake Balance Leech just off the bottom or in 9-10 feet down on deeper drop offs is probably the most popular way to go right now. Albino Wino’s, Maholo Nymphs and GT Midges are also catching fish. You can put one of these flies as the top fly in a two-fly rig or use two Midges as well. Look for conditions to remain pretty good until the water starts to get really cold in a month or so.  Go to our online store to see some of the above mentioned flies and to see all our new for this season additions.

Our flies are all tied in the United States by our guides. We use only Tungsten Beads. Our patterns are the best on the market for Pyramid Lake, the least expensive and the patterns date back to the Original Reno Fly Shop days and some of the designs are from some of the best local Pyramid Anglers of all time. Most of our flies can not be found anywhere else.

We are taking reservations for guided trips on the Truckee and Pyramid Lake. Come fish with us while the fishing is so good. Call 775.742.1754 for more info or to book a trip.

Pyramid is closed until October 1^st. There have been more fires in the lake basin and the South West side of the lake is still dealing with a fairly large fire. The road between Nixon and Sutcliff has been closed a few times as well. If you are traveling out to the lake for some recreation or boating be aware of the fire conditions.

Fall Fishing Forecast

We have had a very hot summer. The surface Temperature of the Lake is right around 70 degrees and does not change much until you get into deeper water. This is one of the reasons the lake is closed in the summer. This summer being on the very warm side of summer water temperatures.

The good news is that the fall fishing should be really good. We have developed some really effective techniques to catch these fish in early October and we will once again be holding our October Float Tube Outing on October 5^th-6^th. It is a public outing and we are currently taking sign-ups. Click on the link below to not only see more information on the Outing but to also see our new website for the first time.

2017 Pyramid Lake One Day Clinic with optional 2nd day guided fishing

This clinic is a re-scheduled event. Our regular clinic in February that is in association with our Pyramid Lake Celebration in February was canceled due to lake closure during the floods. The clinic will be a one day event covering everything you need to know to become a better Pyramid Lake angler from rigging, tying knots, fly selection, techniques, where and when to fish and much more. This outing will be a shore based event including wade fishing and ladders. Hot lunch is provided as well. We look forward to sharing our knowledge of the lake with our participants.

Day two is an optional 2nd day of fishing with our guides at the lake. We realize anglers come from out of town and may want to spend the entire weekend on the water and we do as well. On day two we will continue to work with our guests and give them a 2nd day on the water to practice their skills and catch more fish. We always encourage our clients to spend two days or more with us on the water at Pyramid to give us a better opportunity to put them in the right places in the right conditions. Come join us at our signature local water and have some fun.

April 22nd is the first day and is $125 per angler.

April 23rd is the optional 2nd day and is $100 an angler.

Lunch included both days. Tribal permits and gratuities not included.

Contact Rob Anderson  775.742.1754  rob@bucketlistflyfishing.com

Pyramid Lake

Spring season and the spawn rolls on into April. There have been 3 successful spawns at the hatchery on the lake so far. Even with all of the water and the lake coming up everything seems to be right on time. Water temperatures are approaching 50 degrees and the weather has been pretty normal as of late. Each week seems to have some warm days and some minor weather and a windy day or two. The Truckee River is coming into the lake at an average of around 4000 CFS over the past few weeks and this has helped the lake to come up over three feet this season. It seems to be coming up inches a day right now. Don’t be surprised to see the lake come up another few feet before the season is over.

There are still plenty of beaches closed due to the floods in January and it seems as though we may not see to many more openings this fishing season. The road to Monument has a 10 foot deep and 25 foot wide crevice down the middle of it just north of the Ranch properties and plenty of water still coming out of the mountains through it into the lake. We don’t have much to report on Dago and Howards but with the Truckee running so hard they are probably muddy anyway. The South Nets is a mystery. We were told that the Tribe has the O.K. to allow access even though there is damage to the beach there as well. It is going to be tight and crowded for the next month so if you come to the lake accept the crowds and the lack of access right now.

As far as the fishing goes, it has been a mixed bag. As the water continues to rise in the lake look for conditions to change frequently. Stripping the normal patterns like Midnight Cowboy Wooly Buggers and Martini Olives in tandem with a Bright colored Beetle or Tadpole like chartreuse and white or all white is hard to beat. For Indicator rigs the Albino Wino and the Copper Wino have been the top producing fly for us for the umpteenth year in a row with over thirty 10 pound plus fish caught on these flies in March alone. https://www.pyramidlakeflyfishing.com/product-category/flies/ Fish these flies on the bottom with a Red or Black Maholo Nymph on the top. Early mornings and late evenings are the best time of day, especially during light winds and clear skies. As the water warms up in the mornings it seems to help with a mid-day bite as well. Keep checking your depth on Indicator set ups even on your favorite beaches. You will be surprised how fast the water is changing and rising in the lake. It is going to be tougher to find big fish in the coming month as more and smaller fish show up in the shallows as the spawn continues.

Not to mention the road access is still limited due to snow on the road. Your guess is as good as ours because we have plenty of other places to fish when it is this high. On the same note the flows could stay high like this for a while. Plenty of run off and a dam project on the way at Stampede Reservoir could keep the flows over 500 CFS for a month or more.

As of March 4^th 446 heading south is open. This has also allowed more beaches to open up. Tamaracks Beach heading south to Popcorn is now open to fishing. There are still three areas that are closed. Everything to the North of Shot Dog beach including Warrior Point and Monument as well as the South Nets heading south to Washout beach. Also Dago and Howards beaches remain closed. There are some severe gouges in the roads and beaches in these areas due to flooding and we may not see these open this spring.

The lake has slowed down some since the re-opener. There have even been some really tough days. The water is only 44 degrees which is only a degree or two from the normal wintertime low. High Pressure over the past few days has made it tough going. The other important thing to know is the lake has come at least two feet since the beginning of winter and it has made it impossible to wade out to the normal spots near the shelves on almost all of the lake’s more shallow beaches. This spring is going to be way different than in most years when we do not have this huge influx of water in February and March. We had this situation back in 2005 when the lake came up fast in March. There are two possible scenarios that can change the situation on our more shallow beaches. Either we can have a big wind event out of the East or North and the shelves could get reset or we will have to wait until the lake comes up another foot or two with more run-off to bring the fish into the more shallow water. The beaches with a steeper drop off on the South end of the lake are more fishable and the drop offs are easier to get to. Stormy days are going to be important to good fishing this spring as well as low light situations in the early mornings and evenings for sure. Check your depth on your indicator rigs at any of the beaches because they have all changed. Float Tubing and Pontoon Boats are going to play a key role in our spring this year, especially as the water warms up in April. We will try to keep the report up to date as often as possible as situations change at the lake.

We have spent the better part of the last month at Pyramid. We have seen the good the bad and the ugly! This is one of the best times of year to catch a fish of a lifetime at Pyramid for sure. There are plenty of big fish pics being circulated all over the internet coming from Pyramid Lake. That being said the fishing is tough for numbers and you have to put your time in. The water is cooling down rapidly now with the cold overnight and daytime temperatures in the area and with the cold forecast this pattern is not going to change. All this means for now is everything is pretty normal for this time of year. Fish are spread out. The minnows are in deep water and the fish we are catching are the occasional cruiser or school of smaller fish. Stripping Wooly Worms, Beetles and Tadpoles has been the most effective but anglers putting in their time with Balanced Leeches and Maholo Nymphs are also doing o.k. On nicer days with less wind and sunny skies it is important to fish first and last light. Cloudy, windy days are the best and fish can be caught more frequently during the day. For stripping flies try Olive Martinis, Bloody Marys and Midnight Cowboys for Wooly Worms. White Ghost or Northern Lights Tadpoles are also catching fish as well. Under the Indicator it is hard to beat either a Black Maholo Nymph or an Olive Martini Balanced Leech right now. You can fish both at the same time with the Maholo nymph fished on top.

Pyramid is fishing pretty much right on par for Late November – Early December. The fish are really spread out, tough to catch but there are some good days in the mix and plenty of big fish being caught. Two weeks ago the water was 57 degrees from the surface to down around 80 feet. This constant temperature this time of year is one of reasons why the fish are spread out. Recent storms have cooled the water to about 50 – 52 degrees. The normal pattern for this time of year is first light and last light on calm sunny days and throughout the day if there is any wind and or clouds and storms. Fish are eating flies fished under an indicator like Pyramid Lake Balanced Leeches and Maholo Nymphs but most anglers opt for shooting heads this time of year. Fish are still chasing fast moving lures and flies and a faster retrieve is still important. Fly selection is all over the map. It is more about getting your fly in front of some fish than the exact pattern. To narrow it down a bit try Olive Martini Wooly Worms and Tadpoles and Beetles in White or White and Chartreuse. Don’t over think it this time of year. Get your flies in the water and put in your time and the odds will go up. This is a great time of year to catch a big fish just not a great time to catch a lot of fish. Those days do exist but you can’t count on it. The next couple of weeks should continue to produce some real picture takers at the lake. Dress warm, layer up and keep your flies in the water.