Apparently, it was fly fishermen who were caught most violating the barbless hook rule. When you hit it right, Boca can yield excellent kokanee fishing, as we found out. One advantage of Boca over Stampede is that the boat ramp and facilities are more accessible to people with disabilities than Stampedes ramp facility, which is difficult to launch and park at when the water level is low. Ive caught the fish all over the lake. Some wardens will use something such as a cotton ball or the sleeve of a shirt to test the barb that has been smashed completely closed. Youve got to balance all the needs, said Peter Tira, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. As of March 1st all general regulations waters are now open to catch & release fishing from November 16th through the last Friday in April. The fish kept jumping out of the water until it made a run and surged towards the bottom for a couple of minutes. On the Truckee, a big river like that serves a lot of interests there is going to be some catch-and-keep where its historically been available.. california department of fish and wildlife, Otis McDonald: Inspiring the Rock and, Most Importantly, the Roll. We will be expanding our Fishing Regulations page on the website or just call the shop if you have questions. No camping or campfired are allowed outside of the developed campgrounds. This is the only section of river in the statewide document that has provided an extra option for consideration in addition to the proposed changes an alternative added by the public advocating for a zero-kill limit all the way to the state line. Location and History: Boca is located on the Little Truckee River 27 miles southwest of Reno and 7 miles northeast of Truckee. Please take the time to review all the other new regulations that went into effect this month as there have been a number of changes. The kokanee salmon was 16 inches long and very fat and healthy, a typical Boca Reservoir kokanee. Boating: A boat ramp is located near Boca Campground on the southwest end of the reservoir, but may be subject to closure during low water levels. In spite of the great bite we had experienced, Netzel noted that the anglers fishing with him had caught limits of kokanee even earlier, by 7 am, on a trip the previous week. The fish are taking most every offering and having multiple set-ups is always the way to have more consistent action. I had the opportunity to talk to Lieutenant Richard Vincent, whose squad of wardens handles enforcement in our area. The CDFW historically stocked Boca with around 12,000 pounds of catchable rainbows. The two main reasons were that anglers were caught fishing with bait, violating the artificial lure component of the new winter regulations, and fishing with barbed hooks, violating the barbless hook provision of the law. Jay Rowan, Acting Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor-Hatcheries North Central Region-CDFW, said the Department is now evaluating the fisheries at Stampede, Boca and Prosser, where the Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT), the trout native to the Truckee River watershed, have been reintroduced in recent years. Fishing seems to be on the slow side at Pyramid but we expect that to change in the coming weeks as these fish prepare for their annual spring spawn. The positive for this, we believe, will be it should help spread out angling pressure amongst a number of bodies of water, instead of just the Truckee and the Little Truckee. This means the loss of broodstock fish harvested there echoes up and down the river, even to the more protected sections like below Trout Creek and the famous fish at Fanny Bridge. The next 20 or so miles of river from Trout Creek to 1,000 feet below the Fanny Bridge dam has had a five-fish bag limit for decades, but only from the last Saturday in April until Nov. 15. Sage Sauerbrey recently graduated with a journalism degree from Sierra Nevada College, and was rescued from the throes of post-college-what-the-hell-am-I-doing-with-my-life-blues by the good folks at Moonshine Ink. Make sure you have a stout pair of needlenose pliers to do the job. Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news. Pyramid was slow for us this week but looks very promising as we move laster in the March and April. You cannot use lures in this section.
Thanks again for being a part of this Truckee River fishing community. However, because of the drought-spurred problems at the state trout hatcheries last year, Rowan said the Department has swapped the cutthroats for the rainbows this year. The CDFW stocked 16,416 in 20007, 50,052 in 2008, 0 in 2009, 52,400 in 2010, 50,034 in 2011, 49, 997 in 2012, 30,008 in 2013, 49,968 in 2014, 24,999 in 2015 and 25,042 in 2016. The benefit of this angling experience not just to the ecosystem of the fish, but also to the regions economy is becoming more and more apparent over the years. For maximum success on trout, anglers should toss out Power Bait, nightcrawlers, Kastmasters, Rooster Tails and Rapalas throughout the lake. Camping: available on both the east and west shores of Boca Reservoir. The Truckee to Tahoe City run has had a long historical use as a catch-and-keep fishery, while the region has many other opportunities for bait fishing and harvesting at the local reservoirs such as Prosser and Boca. In general, that [five-fish limit] reg is outdated, said Michael Wier, a videographer for CalTrout, conservationist, and longtime fisherman on the Truckee. Please be aware of this issue regarding barbless hooks when you are fishing any special regulation area that requires you to go barbless, and make sure to take the steps necessary to comply with the law. Because of its reputation as the virtual capital of water skiing and recreational boating in the Truckee region, Boca Reservoir usually receives relatively little fishing pressure during the summer compared to the more popular Stampede and Prosser reservoirs. My apologies for not acknowledging your comment sooner as I am only just seeing it now. For more info: the photo is from the situation that spawned this story: Moonshineink.com/tahoe-news/saving-fish-in-a-barrel. The winter angling section of the Little Truckee is the section between Stampede Reservoir Dam to Boca Reservoir. Rainbows are the predominant fish landed by shore anglers, but mackinaws and Lahontan cutthroats also spice up the catches. A cold week here in Truckee with snow almost every day. A few weeks ago I wrote a piece about the new winter angling regulations taking affect on the Little Truckee and the Truckee rivers. Kayaking and canoeing when the water is calm (morning and evening). For the Truckee, this could mean heightened protection on a few coveted stretches, but at the expense of a sensitive and often overlooked stretch of river from Tahoe City to Truckee. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference. If you want to maximize you chance of getting the larger fish, we recommend stripping flies. We lost about half the fish we hooked, as is normal for kokanee fishing. And that says a lot, since Ive fished for the landlocked sockeye salmon at a multitude of waters, including Stampede, Whiskeytown, Little Grass Valley, Bucks, Union Valley, Indian Valley, Pardee, Don Pedro, New Melones, McClure, Cherry, McClure and Shaver lakes. For a highly visible section of a world-class wild trout stream, some anglers say this could be very detrimental to the fishery. If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted. If left in the water those same fish could have offered dozens of awesome angling experiences for conservation-minded anglers.. My personal feeling is that no wild trout waters in California can sustain five-fish limits and still provide a quality angling experience throughout the year.. Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Buggers, boobys, and beetles have been responsible for catching more large fish this year than anything else and could very well be your ticket to a fish of a lifetime. We saw three other boats fishing the lake before the personal watercraft and water skiing enthusiasts arrived. Only those with 4x4 vehicles and with moderate clearance will be able to get back to the river.
Moonshine Ink is independently owned and operated, meaning we are nimble and responsive beholden to no one but ourselves and our readers. However, this year, more anglers are making the trek to Boca for the outstanding kokanee fishing that is available. Thank you, The best fishing is in the early spring after the lake ices out or in the fall.
Boca, like Stampede, is planted with kokanee fingerlings every year by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Directions: From Truckee take Interstate 80 east for six miles to the Hirschdale exit. The key is to get on the lake early during the summer before the personal watercraft and water skiers turn the lake into a noisy froth. In the section between Glenshire Bridge and the mouth of Prosser Creek, only artificial barbless flies are permitted. California Fly Fisher magazine Using a dry dropper with a skwala adult and a small bwo nymph or midge pupa will be a great way to find fish in most of our local waters right now and will excel in skinnier water in particular. It was the last fish needed to fill our limits by 8:30 AM. Truckee will even see the opening of its first fly fishing shop in almost a decade this summer, Trout Creek Outfitters, downtown (see Business Briefs, p. 21). Not only does limited stocking occur on that section of river, heightening the pressure on its wild trout populations, but it is also an important part of the rivers spawning run, Wier said. The fishing has slowed down since them, he noted. Boca is lightly fished by bank anglers. People ask me what depth Im fishing, but it varies. The California Department of Fish and Wildlifes proposed trout regulations actually call for catch and release fishing with barbless artificial lures on Prosser Creek below the reservoir and the Little Truckee below Stampede. For more information about fishing for kokanee at Boca Reservoir, call James Netzel of Tight Lines Guide Service, 888-975-0990, fishtightlines.com. In the drought year of 2015, over 30 rainbow and brown trout were relocated to Lake Tahoe when conditions threatened their survival. The bait issue did not surprise him, but the violation of the barbless hook policy dumbfounded him, since it was fly fishermen who took such an active role in getting the regulations changed on these rivers in the first place. We apologize about the delay in announcing this as we where simply unsure on the wording and did not want to lead anyone astray. These plants supplement the good natural spawning conditions normally available on the Little Truckee River, the lakes main tributary. Photo courtesy Mike Wier. Many people ask me why more flies are not tied with barbless hooks. The second reason is that it gives the fly tier a point of beginning to start the process of tying a fly. I can be reached at juliana@moonshineink.com. Pats Rubber Legs in brown or olive #8-#10, Tungsten Trout Retrievers in black or brown #8, Gilligans Skipper Stone in skwala #10, San Juan Worms in red or pink #12, Gummy Worms in red or pink #12, Flexy Floss Worms in red or pink #12, glowbugs in orange or pink #14, Unreal Eggs in orange or pink #12, Pheasant Tails #14-#16, Prince Nymphs #12-#16, Lightning Bugs in pearl or gold #16-#18, Zebra Midges in red or black #16-#18, Juju Baetis in #16-#18, Mircomays in olive #16-#18, Stimulators in black or olive #8-#10, Madam Xs in olive, black or royal coachman in #8. Bruce Ajari is a Truckee resident and regular fishing columnist for the Sierra Sun and other area newspapers.
The lake has a surface area of 980 acres and holds 34,735 acre-feet of water when full. Tira does highlight though that although the process is in its second year, the list of proposed changes is still very much a living document. Ive caught bigger kokanee, and limited out more quickly at other lakes, but in terms of the sheer fighting quality and spunkiness of these fish, this quick trip to Boca was the some of the best kokanee fishing Ive ever experienced. Moo Midges in red or wine #8, Patriot Midges #10, Cutbait Midges in red #8, Pyramid Beach Leeches in black or olive #8, Moo Minnows #8, Boobies in Chartreuse/White #8, Pyramid Beetles in Chartreuse/White or Black #8, Midnight Cowboys #6, Estaz Woolly Worms in Pearl or Chartreuse/Black #6. I try to find my own school, he tipped. It asks for catch and release protections for the entire Truckee River, with only barbless hooks and artificial lures allowed between Tahoe City and Trout Creek. I have one right on my tying bench so I pinch them down right as I tie my flies. The article also gives the impression that the Truckee River upstream from Trout Creek (basically, the stretch from downtown Truckee to 1,000 feet below the Tahoe dam) is being singled out for year-round angling.
One of the questions was Would you be in favor a switch from rainbows to Lahuntan cutthroat plants? Surprisingly, 85 percent of anglers responded, Yes.. Go north and under I-80 for approximately one mile to Boca Reservoir. The window of good fishing continues to get wider and on warmer days getting out to the water by 9-10 and fishing until dark can provide a lot of opportunities to find fish. Boca is located on the Little Truckee River 27 miles southwest of Reno and 4 miles northeast of Truckee. I grabbed the rod out of the holder and reeled in the slack. April is historically a great month for numbers of fish out there as they move into shallower water and school up when the water warms. I have not seen many lures with barbless hooks, so smashing them down or replacing them with a barbless hook is extremely important. Kokanee are the main fish that anglers pursue, but anglers also catch mackinaw, rainbows, browns and Lahontan cutthroats in the lakes fertile waters in the spring, summer and fall. A friend showed me the lake and we caught bigger fish that day than we were catching at Stampede.. The flows are fantastic on the entire river and we recommend that you explore some of the less common runs of the river in hopes of targeting those fish with their guards down. Sometimes wardens can be particularly hard on the smashing of the barbs, so you must be aware that they must be pinched down all the way. Netzel has been doing best on Radical Glow Tubes, MicroHoochies and Apex lures to entice the kokes. Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil. When I get out on the lake, I turn on the Fish Finder and see where the kokanee are holding, said Netzel. Richard Anderson We have to work a little harder to get our limits.. Fishing Information: Mountain Hardware, 11320 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee, CA 96161, (530) 587-4844 , mountainhardwareandsports.com. Ive walked that stretch (between River Ranch and Tahoe City) and seen eight big and beautiful wild trout in there, and then come back the next day on the opener and by noon five of those fish have been killed by people with bait, Wier said. Everybody had told me that the kokanee were small at the lake, but I heard this spring that anglers were getting big fish. 
boca reservoir fishing regulations
