Don Q's Nevada and Northern California fishing report for week of Sept. 24

Here is this week's fishing report for rivers, lakes and streams in Nevada and Northern California. This report is for the week of Sept. 24, 2014.

ALMANOR LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
The east basin has been the hot area.
The trolling lanes in some of the well-known bait spots like Rocky Point, Canyon Dam, Big Springs, and the A-Frame had decent fish.  
The Hamilton Branch has been packed with anglers lining the shore due to a good bite there.  
Trolling the outside of the mouth with a nightcrawler in 30 feet will produce mostly rainbows.  
The big Browns are still at Rec. 2, as they have been all month.
Courtesy of Western Outdoor News.

BISHOP CREEK AREA, CALIF:
Rick and Patti Apted - Lake Sabrina Boat Landing (760-873-7425) (www.lakesabrinaboatlanding.com) reports:
Lake Sabrina:
Lots of fish stocked by Department of Fish and Wildlife from Filmore (too hot to stock over there) and SNOW – yup, Sunday morning, a bit of the white stuff dusted the Sabrina Basin mountains – sure was nice to see Mt. Haeckel, Mt. Wallace, Picture Peak and Clyde Spires once again with a bit of white – maybe more toward the end of the week. Yup, it’s Fall!
The catching continued at Lake Sabrina with the Inlets once again the best place to fish with Jigs (Sierra Slammers), Lures, Nightcrawlers, Salmon Eggs and Power Bait – looks like just about everything was working back there.
Dragging a Lure or Nightcrawler along the shoreline or rock piles was doing the trick if you were trolling.
Power Bait or Salmon Eggs brought in the fish if you were sitting on shore.
 Had a few big fish caught this week. Kelly Vogel of Ventura caught and released a nice Rainbow using a Sierra Slammer. Pete and Cindy Torgerson of West Hills pulled in a nice limit using Salmon Eggs and Nightcrawlers. Ceasar Martinez of San Fernando caught his 3-pounder using a Red Worm. Dave Hernandez of Glendora landed a 2-1/4 pounder and a 2-3/4 pounder using jigs and friend John Tate of La Verne caught a 2-1/2 pounder also on a jig. Another friend, Nick Quinn caught a 2 pounder with a jig. Alex Solomko of Murrieta had bragging right this week using Nightcrawlers to bring in a 2-3/4 pounder and 3-3/4 pounder.

BRIDGEPORT RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707)
www.kenssport.com) reports:
September 22, 2014
More good reports from the shore on Bridgeport this week, lots of nice rainbows in the 1 to 2 pound range being caught on bait and some on lures down near the dam.
Also some really nice perch being caught on bait as well.
Haven't heard much from the boat anglers, it seems the shore anglers are doing the best. Inflated crawlers, power bait, power eggs and mice tails are all doing well, for lures go with small rapalas, kastmasters and thomas bouyants.    

CHETCO RIVER, ORE:
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (800-720-ODWF) (www.dfw.state.or.us.com) reports:
Temporary regulations have been adopted for the Chetco River starting Sept. 1.
Anglers should check these regulation changes prior to fishing the river.
The temporary regulations do not affect the tributaries, and with cooler water conditions anglers may want to fish some of the bigger tributaries for cutthroat that can reach 18 to 20-inches.
Both casting spinners or fly fishing can be really good.

CONVICT LAKE AND CONVICT CREEK, CALIF:
Convict Lake Resort (800-992-2260) (www.convictlake.com) reports: The mornings now have a slight chill but the fishing has not cooled off. It was another week with some nice fish being pulled from the lake. 
Trolling continued to provide some good results.
Last week the trolling was the best on the Outlet/Marina side of the lake, off the shelf out from the Jetty (6-7 colors).
This week the Outlet/Marina side of Convict stayed productive but anglers were also hooking up from the Inlet and along the North Shore (4-6 colors).
From the shore the Inlet and South Shore were the happening spots. Lure fishing seems to be picking up as we move into autumn. Fall is the time for exceptional fishing.
Catch of the Week: 
Tim Prem from Mammoth Lakes, CA hooked a 4 pound 10 ounce toad. 
Tim was using a Red/Gold Thomas Bouyant and he was fishing the Inlet. 
Congratulations Tim on a great catch!   
Other notable catches this week:
William Weed from Torrance, CA caught a 3 pound 11 ounce rainbow.
William was using garlic Power Bait and he was fishing the South Shore.
Laura Raudenbush from Santa Barbara, CA landed a 3 pound 6 ounce rainbow while fishing at the South Shore. Laura was using a Nightcrawler as bait.
Valene Garrison from Half Moon Bay, CA hooked a 3 pound and 3 ounce rainbow. She was using  a Royal Coachman Fly and was fishing at the Inlet. 
Willard Wood from Minden, NV with a stout 3 pound 10 ounce rainbow. Willard was using a Red/Gold Thomas Bouyant and he was fishing the North Shore.
Niki and Bill Leitelt from Arroyo Grande, CA each landed a nice rainbow (2 pounds 6 ounces  & 2 pounds 11 ounces). 
They was using Nightcrawlers and were fishing at the Inlet. 
Tactics/Bait: 
Thomas Bouyants and Tasmanian Devils (trolling & casting) were the lures of choice this week.
The top colors for the Tasmanian Devils were Black Thunder and Bloody Frog. Red/Gold was the top preforming color with the Thomas Bouyants. 
Different colors of Power Bait were working especially anything with garlic.
The most successful Power Bait colors were yellow and chartreuse. 
Don't forget about the old reliable inflated nightcrawler. 
The Inlet was fishing very well this week.
The South Shore was also another hot spot. Other locations fishing well were Inlet, Hangman's Tree, Jetty, South and North Shore. 
Here is a list of other baits/lures that can be productive:
Sierra Slammers, Tasmanian Devil, Green or brown Marvel Fly Lures, Trout Teasers, Panther Martin, Needlefish, Rooster Tails, and Bite-on Fury Shad or Lip Ripperz Hatchery Dust on Power Bait.
Here is a list of recommended flies:  
Dry Flies:
Adams, Female Adams, Cutter's Caddis, Elk Hair Caddis, Stimulators, Black/Red Ants, Sierra Bright Dot, Royal Coachman and Hoppers.  
Streamers:
Wooly Bugger (black, brown, olive, or green), Mutuka (black, brown, olive, or green), Hornberg, and Muddler Minnows. 
Wet Flies (Nymphs):
Prince Nymph, Flashback Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, Zebra Midge (red and black), Copper John (red and copper) and San Juan Worm (brown or red).
Other Resources:
View our Convict Lake Fishing Map and Fishing Rig Suggestion brochures.
Both brochures are available in the General Store.
Derby News: Our fall derby series Ambush at the Lake started on September 1st and will run until November 15th. 
Come join us for a chance to win $6,000 in Resort Prizes!
Also mark your calendars for the Morrison's Bonus Cash Weekend on Oct. 31 - Nov. 2. $2000 in cash prizes.
Weather: 
Highs are going to be in the High 60's and the lows in the mid 40's. The forecast is calling for slightly cooler temps and chance of thunderstorms throughout the beginning of next week. Here is the National Weather Service link that is usually quite accurate: 7-Day Forecast Convict Lake.
Sunrise - Sunset:
Sunrise this week 6:42 am - 6:47 am and Sunset 6:58 pm - 6:48 pm. 
Stocking: 
We planted trophy trout at the lake on September 16th.    

CROWLEY LAKE, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:  
The lake is fishing great in Mc Gee Bay and the Green Banks area in 8-12 feet of water with copper zebra midges and Stevie's Wonder gray/black.
Also the perch fry are abundant so a matuka or an olive woolly bugger on  a sink tip or a full sink line has been productive as well.



CROWLEY LAKE, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Water conditions:
Lake levels are slowly dropping. 'Now at 6,757.9 ft versus 6,781 ft elevation at the spillway. We still have a ways to go, as the islands just outside the marina have not yet popped out, but getting close.
Water temperature is slowly dropping at 62°F (on the bottom) uniformly almost everywhere on the lake.
Water is almost crystal clear everywhere - zero algae.
Weeds across the lake are dying leaving single stalks for the fish to work.
Fishing conditions:
The fish have pretty much congregated in the North Arm to be greeted by a fleet of rubber Cherrios and boats. It has been pretty wide open for everyone midging and stripping both.  Multiple 18" fish are common place for most anglers.
McGee Bay and Hilton are on and off but no crowds.
Six Bays and Leighton are also holding some fish.
Get among the dying weed stalks or against a weed line to find the big predators. Every Cutthroat in the lake is parked in the north end.
Trifectas are commonplace.

DAVIS LAKE, CALIF:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16
Davis is probably in the best shape of any of our area fisheries.
There has been an awesome Callabaetis hatch late mornings on non-windy days as well as plenty of midges. Fish have been working the hatch over pretty well for the past week both on the surface and a few feet below.
Callabaetis nymphs fished with either a floating line or an intermediate line and a long 4X leader in 3-9 feet of water has been the way to go.
You can also hang these flies under an indicator 3-6 feet down.
Try Albino Wino’s and Wine Maholo Nymphs.
Be careful to check the weed growth where you are fishing. In some cases your depth finder will mark 12 feet of water but the fishable depth is only 5 feet due to weeds. The weeds should start to die off in the coming weeks.
The fishing is still pretty tough in the afternoons but that should change soon as well. This should be an awesome fall at Davis.
The fish are in great shape and are really big.

EAGLE VALLEY RESERVOIR, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Anglers have found good action for rainbow trout while using orange or rainbow Power Bait.
Though fly-fishermen have had some success, the action has been slow.
Weedy conditions have cleared substantially due to cooling water temps, and the lake is now 90 percent open water.
NDOW will hold an Intro to Fly-Fishing workshop at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 in the campground. The annual One-Fly, Fly-fishing tournament will take place on Saturday beginning at 8 a.m.
For more information contact Ranger Ben Johnson at 775-962-5102.

ECHO CANYON RESERVOIR, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Rainbow trout have been taking orange or rainbow Power Bait, but passing on lures and flies. Bass action has dropped off dramatically during the past week. Cooler temperatures have cleared much of the weed growth from the lake.

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Wiggin’s Trading Post at Chilcoot (530-993-4683) reports:
Fall fishing is getting off to a great start here at Frenchman Lake.
Don from Graeagle caught two 18 to 20 inch rainbows from his kayak while trolling flashers and power bait. While he was fishing he saw 3 fly fishermen catching some nice sized rainbows near Frenchman boat launch.
Mitch from Reno, a regular at Frenchman Lake and often mentioned in this fishing report, caught 4 rainbows totaling 9 lbs (1 fish weighed 3.07 lbs!).
He was bank fishing from the dam with nightcrawlers.
Please call us for current lake conditions and updates on the fishing - Wiggin’s Trading Post

FRENCHMAN RESERVOIR, CALIF:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16
Frenchman’s is really low. The fishing has been outstanding however. There is a great Callabaetis hatch going on in the mid mornings. Most of the fish are still in a little deeper water and can be caught with either sinking lines or a deep water indicator rig. Try to get down into 8-14 feet of water. The fish have been on the grab for sure.
Maholo Nymphs and Midges fished under a Deep Water Lake Leader has been really working well. The strikes are quick so you have to be ready. A type two sinking line and anything from small wooly buggers to snail patterns has been also working. Sheep Creek Specials are a great way to go.

HAT CREEK, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
Upper Hat Creek
Fishing here is at its best early in the day before the sun gets high in the sky and then right at sunset.  The Power House No. 2 riffle is worth checking out.
Courtesy of Western Outdoor News.

HOT CREEK, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
Water flow down to 2 CFS. Try an attractor dry  like a stimulator  with a nymph as a dropper WD-40, green rock worms or scuds. 
Heavy weed growth makes accurate casting a must. With cooler weather and shorter days the weeds should begin to break down soon.


HOT CREEK, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Water conditions:
Poor. Flows at 12CFS as of 9/21. Water is clear.
(Note flows include water from the springs, not just the gauging station at the highway so this is what is really flowing through the canyon)
Fishing conditions:
Good. The fishing is good, but landing any fish you hook is quite difficult, especially if they're sizable.
Use heavier tippet and you can lift their heads up and over the weeds.
Weeds are still a serious problem, making long drifts impossible.
Focus on making short perfect drifts in between the weeds and whatever clear or deeper water you can reach.

JUNE LAKE LOOP, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
Grant - Gull - June - Silver Lakes and Rush Creek:
Rush Creek flow has dropped to 11 CFS and fishing is fair.
Try a humpie or stimulator with  a hares ear or pheasant tail dropper.

KIRMAN LAKE, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
September 22, 2014
We've been getting some pretty good reports from Kirman this week as well, stripping small leech or bugger patterns near the tules has been pretty successful for some anglers.
Haven't heard of any cutts being caught lately but the brookies that are being caught are mostly running in the 16 to 19 inch range.
Seal buggers, mini leeches and matukas have been doing the best.            

LAUGHTON, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Colorado River:
Action has been good for catfish and striped bass along this stretch of the river.
Anglers are bringing in catfish pushing 10 pounds and stripers ranging from four to six pounds while fishing anchovies along Casino Row.
Lures are catching fish near the nature center.

MAMMOTH LAKES BASIN, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
George Lake - Mary Lake – Mamie Lake – Twin Lakes:
Windy conditions have hampered fishing last week.
Try Upper Twin with Doc's Twin Lake Special black or olive or try hanging a callibaetis nymph under an indicator.

MAMMOTH LAKES BASIN, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:  
George Lake - Mary Lake – Mamie Lake – Twin Lakes:  
Water conditions:
Good. Clear and cool.
Fishing conditions:
Good. Hearing George is fishing well, especially along any of the drop offs into the deeper water.
Fish a full sink line and make sure you're getting it down there. Probably don't need much more than an intermediate sinking line in Upper Twin or Mamie.
You can also fish under the indicator just like on Crowley and you'll see the occasional Callibaetis so don't be afraid to throw some dry flies before dark.

MARTIS LAKE, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports:
CLOSED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR BECAUSE OF WEEDS AND SPORADIC FISH LOSS!

LAKE MEAD, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Anglers who have been catching stripers are reporting that the fish have bellies full of shad, which may explain the sluggish action.
For those using lures, success has been with silver Kastmasters and Zara Spooks.
Crawdad imitations are taking black bass in depths up to 40 feet.

LAKE MOHAVE, CLARK COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Smallmouth bass have been hitting on crawdad and night crawler imitations.
You may need to change colors throughout the day.
Bluegill and redear sunfish are very active in the coves.
The fish are taking nightcrawler pieces and small jigs.

OWENS RIVER, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
Upper Owens River:
Flow is up a bit to 50 CFS. The water is low and clear. Try caddis pupa, San Juan worms and egg patterns. The fish are scattered so cover lots of water.
Lower Owens River:
Water flow  has lowered to 274 CFS and fishing has improved.
Not much surface action  but nymph fishing is great.
WD 40's , rainbow warriors, baetis emergers.


OWENS RIVER, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Upper Owens River:
Water conditions:
Fair. Flows at 50 CFS above the Hot Creek Confluence as of 9/21.
Water pretty clear above Hot Creek confluence, off color below.
The lower you go, the more "green slime" you'll have to deal with.
Pretty bad down in the bait section and below, almost non existent up above the bridge though.
Fishing conditions:
Good. More of the same here, still waiting on the bigger fish to move up.
Catching mostly planters from the bridge down, some resident fish up high, but they're more spread out.
Water below the HC confluence is still fairly dirty and loaded with grass.
Makes for harder fishing as you have to clean your flies off on a regular basis.
Up high is a different story, the water is very clear making it somewhat difficult. These fish can see you coming for sure so fish way below your fish and try not to cast a shadow with your rod.
Not seeing much in the way of rising fish still except the tiny 3-4 inch fingerlings.
Owens River Gorge:
Water conditions:
Good. Clear and cold.
Fishing conditions:
Ryan was down here above PVR and said the fishing was quite good.
Mostly under the indicator as it's almost too brushy to cast a dry fly in that section.
They're down deep too. Be sure to use enough weight.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir:
Water conditions:
Water levels are dropping.
Fishing conditions:
No recent reports.
This place should start to go off soon as soon as the temps start to drop.
Rock Creek:
Water conditions:
Fair. Flows stable at 30 CFS as of 9/21. Creek is clear
Fishing conditions:
Good. Hike in a bit and fish the lakes along the trail.
Chickenfoot and Long Lake usually hold fish in the shallow waters at the edges and outlets if you're willing to walk a bit.
Same thing goes for Ruby Lake up a bit higher, lots of brookies up there that will eat just about any fly you throw at them!
The creek isn't fishing bad either, the water is really clear and the fish can see you coming a mile away though, so stay low and keep your shadow off the water.
That is if you can find water deep enough to hold any fish.
Rush Creek:
Water conditions:
Poor. Flows above Grant Lake are at 11 CFS and 34 CFS below as of 9/21.
Fishing conditions:
Fair. No recent reports from any of the fly guys.
The water is very low, so keeping your shadow off the water you're trying to fish and wearing muted colors will go a long way towards not scaring away the fish you're trying to catch.
Lower Owens River:
Water conditions:
Good. Flows bouncing around but are at 274 CFS as of 9/2.
Water is tinted green. Water temps have come down a bit in past couple of weeks.
Fishing conditions:
Good. Daytime temps are coming down a bit, and the water coming in from PVR is cooling down as well. The fishing is heating up though.
They are still messing with the flows, seems to be on the downswing.
Check before you go here
Hearing they're chowing on mayflies early. Mostly of the small and grey variety.

PAHRANAGAT WILDLIFE REFUGE, LINCOLN COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Anglers are finding some success at the upper marsh for panfish and catfish.
Mealworms or nightcrawlers below a bobber will catch fish.

PYRAMID LAKE, NEV:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16
The lake opens to fishing on Oct. 1. Usually this early in the fall the lake water temperatures are still pretty warm. The fishing from shore can be pretty tough. The Troller’s have done very well in the past in October.
Fish seem to still be hanging out in 20-40 feet of water chasing bait.
As the water cools the bait and the trout will come into areas with deeper drop offs and make themselves available to shore anglers. If you are going to the lake for the opener look for beaches with fast drop offs. Block House, Popcorn, Howards Bay and Sand hole are all worth trying. Fast sinking shooting heads are a must with White or Chartreuse Wooly Worms. This should be a great year at the lake.

RYE PATCH RESERVOIR, PERSHING COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
The boat launches are closed due to low water levels.
Shore launching is risky and is done at your own risk.

SACRAMENTO RIVER (LOWER), CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
King Salmon fishing:
September 19, 2014
King Salmon fishing on the Sacramento River.
Water flow is currently 6,000 CFS. 
Salmon fishing the Sacramento River is great.  Fish are here! Salmon fishing is great, catching beautiful Chrome salmon!  Salmon averaging in weight, 15 to 25 pounds, several fish caught over 30 pounds. 
Limits some days now. Getting into some larger salmon now. More fish daily. Using Flatfish lures is the hot ticket.

SACRAMENTO RIVER (LOWER), CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
Fly fishing:
As of  September 19, 2014
Water flow is currently 6,000 CFS.
Lower Sacramento River fly fishing report, fly fishing is excellent.
Trout fishing Redding area, trout fishing is good.
Rainbow Trout fishing, fly fishing, trout are 18 inches to 25 inches.
Fishing Redding to Balls Ferry ramp.
Using PMD's, Black Caddis, Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Brown 
Micro Mays.  

SAN JOAQUIN RIVER, CALIF:
Kent Rianda of The Trout Fly and Troutfitter (760-934-2517) (www.thetroutfitter.com) reports:
Water conditions:
Poor. Flows are slightly up to 10 CFS as of 9/21, after a few thunderstorms.
Fishing Conditions:
Poor. Fresh rainwater moving through might help a little, but it's going to take more than a few afternoon showers to bring this place back.
With the flows as low as they are, there isn't much in the way of moving water.
Pretty much slow water moving between standing pools at this point.
If you can find fishable water, there's probably a couple of fish in there.

SAN JOAQUIN RIVER/RED’S MEADOW, CALIF:
Steve Osterman of Performance Guide Service (760-934-6101) (www.performanceanglers.com) reports:
Some recent rain bumped the flow up a bit to 9.9 CFS.
Fishing could improve a bit. Try an attractor like a stimulator or a coachman with a para Adams as a dropper.
Some snow in the forecast for next weekend so it could result in the road closed.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
Cover lots of water and target the first 5 feet with crankbaits and spinnerbaits for Bass.  If you can find shade on hard structure like rock or wood in the afternoon head to that.  There is also bait everywhere from the surface to 25 feet.  Best bet has been the first two and last two hours of the day.
Courtesy of Western Outdoor News.

SHASTA LAKE, CALIF:
Kirk and Lisa Portocarrero at outdooradventures@sacriverguide.com and www.sacriverguide.com (1-800-670-4448) report:
September 19, 2014  
Shasta Lake guided fishing - Northern California fishing Lake Shasta. 
We offer daily guided fishing on Lake Shasta.
Rainbow trout fishing on Lake Shasta is great. Fishing 30 to 75 ft deep.  Catching limits of trout now, with fish ranging in size from  1 to 3 pounds. 
Fishing main body and near dam.
Shasta Lake King salmon fishing is fair. 
Trolling  100-120 ft deep, shad pattern lures.
Shasta Lake Spotted Bass & Small Mouth Bass fishing has been excellent.
Limits daily. Catching 20 to 50 fish per day, bigger fish are being caught 25 -30 ft deep. Larger numbers of smaller bass being caught on the top water using spinner baits and tube worms.

LAKE TAHOE:
A continuing report of limits of average sized Mackinaw Trout being caught on silver flasher blades and minnows, trolled at depths of 100-300 feet on the west side of the lake near Homewood, California.

TRUCKEE RIVER, NEV. & CALIF:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16th
The flows on the Truckee River have plummeted again in the last few days.
A couple of the flow gauges are having a hard time even registering any flow at all at this point. The Truckee should be left alone until there is an increase in flows.
The fish that hopefully have survived so far need to use all their energy to survive these extreme conditions. We have not seen the Truckee in this bad of shape in 20+ years. The water coming out of Lake Tahoe is only running at 18 CFS. The largest influx of water is from Donner Creek at 55 CFS. The river is flowing 20 CFS in Reno as well. Keep your fingers crossed and let’s hope we have an early winter.

TRUCKEE RIVER, LITTLE, CALIF:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16
The flows on the Little Truckee are 40 CFS. They have been this way for a couple of weeks now. This is low but not unusual for this time of year. The Little Truckee is a much smaller river than the Truckee and can handle the low flows.
The water is very cold and clear. There is a lot of moss on the bottom making Nymphing extremely difficult. You must keep an eye on your flies and clean them often. Even dry flies.
The river is pretty crowded due to anglers not fishing the Truckee right now.
There has been some Baetis hatching in mid mornings and there are some midges as well. Pick your spots and observe the river. Fish are really camouflaged against the dark bottom. Make less drifts and take your time in good water.
Try to wear neutral clothing as well.
5X and 6X long leaders are a must.

TRUCKEE RIVER, LITTLE, CALIF:
Mountain Hardware and Sports of Truckee (530-587-4844) (mountainhardwareandsports@gmail.com) reports:
Done.

TWIN LAKES, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
September 22, 2014
The Twins are still producing nice rainbows up to almost 5 pounds this past week.
It seems the bait anglers are doing the best fishing from the shore or from boats.
Trollers are having some success fishing lead core with needlefish and Rapalas. Baits to try include mice tails, power bait and crawlers.
Fly anglers are still bagging some fish stripping mini leeches, matukas and buggers with soft hackle and zug bug droppers.       

VIRGINIA LAKES, CALIF:  
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
September 22, 2014
The Virginias are still fishing very well with bait, lures and flies.
Lots of smaller fish in the 1/2 pound to 1 pound range plus some really nice larger fish up to 4 pounds or so.
For bait go with mice tails, power bait and crawlers, lures try kastmasters, thomas bouyants and panther martins.
Fly anglers have been doing well with dries like hoppers and beetles and wets like seal buggers, matukas and mini leeches. 

WALKER LAKE, MINERAL COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
No new updates. No Lahontan cutthroat have been reported or seen at Walker Lakes since 2009.
Launching is not possible right now.

WALKER RIVER, EAST, NEV. and CALIF:
Rob Anderson of www.renoflyfishingoutfitters.com (775-742-1754) reports:
September 16
Flows on the East Walker are down to 25 CFS. They just dropped in the past few days. The fishing has been pretty tough since the flows dropped.
It has been cool in the Bridgeport area and the water temperatures are o.k. Fish are really spread out in deeper holes and runs on both the Nevada and California sides of the river.
Small nymphs and midges fished under an attractor dry is been working fairly well. Fish are also still eating some larger flies on the surface.
Bridgeport Reservoir is really low so do not expect the flows to change much over the next couple of months at least.

WALKER RIVER, EAST, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
East Walker River:
September 22, 2014 
The East is still running at about 25 CFS right now. The temperatures are good and the fish are healthy though the fishing has been a bit tough.
There are some nice fish being caught down below the bridge on the California side, as well as on the Nevada side of the river.
There's not a lot of pressure so there's plenty of room to fish.
The best method lately has been fishing dry/dropper rigs.
Hoppers, chubby chernobyls, madam x's and the like on top and small midges or san juan worms on the bottom. Midges to try include, rainbow warrior, zebra midge, silver streak, flashback emerger, copper john and dark lord.                   
Sceirine Ranch:
September 22, 2014
The Ranch fished ok this week, as well, not red hot but there were some nice fish being caught.
Dry/dropper rigs seemed to work best for anglers who were down there this week.
Again, not really high numbers of fish but some real quality fish up to 18 inches being caught.   
Hunewill Pond:
September 22, 2014
The pond had a some really good reports and some not so good this week.
The weeds seem to be mostly about a foot or two below the surface so there was some good action near the surface or even on top for the good reports.
Slowly stripping small streamers  or nymphs seemed to produce the best action though there were some fish caught on dries as well.
Mini leeches, seal buggers, stillwater nymphs, wooly buggers, prince nymphs, soft hackles, pheasant tails, stimulators and parachute adams all did well.
Some anglers who had a great day on their first trip out this week reported it was much tougher on their return trip, it's not automatic but there's definitely some nice fish to be caught!

WALKER RIVER, WEST, CALIF:
Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods Store in Bridgeport (760- 932-7707) (www.kenssport.com) reports:
September 22, 2014
The West was a little tougher this week, but we still had quite a number of pretty good reports.
Bait anglers have been using salmon eggs and crawlers, lure anglers have been doing the best with Panther Martins and Mepps spinners.
Fly anglers have been having a great time with hopper/dropper rigs, a Dave's hopper or para hopper on top with a copper john or zebra midge underneath has been very successful.       

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR, ELKO COUNTY, NEV:
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (www.ndow.org) reports:
Water levels are extremely low and warm.
Limits have been lifted, but due to water conditions, the trip isn’t worth it.

WHISKEYTOWN LAKE, CALIF:
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association (530-365-7500) (www.shastacascade.com) reports:
The lake and ramps are in great shape and the kokanee fishing has also been outstanding for fish from 13 to 15 1/2 inches.  
Troll at a pink Apex behind a Slingblade in the channel at the bridge or the cold water curtain.  Try an Uncle Larry's spinner with pink and white beads tipped with Shoepeg Sweet, the long kernel corn you can get in the grocery store.  You have to keep the hooks tipped with corn, so if your aren't getting hit check to see if your corn is gone.
Courtesy of Western Outdoor News.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com