By Bruce Ajari ·
Following the damselfly hatch at Davis Lake ·
Davis Lake near Portola had been the site of two California Department of Fish and Wildlife eradications to rid the lake of Northern Pike that were illegally introduced in the 80s and 90s. It appears that the lake has rebounded nicely and large fish are once again being caught.
As an alternative to fishing the Truckee River, I recently took a trip there with several friends to fish. I had heard that the damselfly hatch had been in full swing so we headed up to give it a try.
Putting our pontoon boats in at the Cow Creek access point, we noticed that many other watercraft already on the lake. You could tell by the numbers that news of the damsel hatch had reached afar.
Fishing was slow, but fish were showing and I had fish eating damsel nymphs around me. At one point, we looked into the water and saw small damsels migrating. We had the right size and shape, but the color was brown. We had tan, light olive and dark olive. We tried the dark olive and put it in front of feeding fish only to be refused over and over. Marking pens were in the truck quite a distance away so rowing back was not an option.
We tried other flies such as callibaetis mayfly imitations (usually a good lake choice), but these did not work either. We scanned the water trying to see what else could be happening. Once the hatch subsided, the feeding fish slowly disappeared back to the depths of the lake. We fished until evening, but had no success.
We could hope for an evening Hexagenia mayfly hatch, but neither of us was prepared for that, so we opted to head back to Sierraville for a nice dinner at Los Dos Hermanos, a great Mexican restaurant.
Our other three anglers managed to catch a few fish using blood midge larva. It was the only thing that we hadn’t tried during the damsel hatch. They had tried them in desperation.
The fish were much more selective than when we had fished here before in the 90s during this same hatch. There is considerably more pressure than in those years and that has probably resulted in pickier fish. It was quite humbling.
FISHING REPORT
(See Sightseeing for water levels)
Boca | Inflow is at 30 cfs and the outflow is 50 cfs. Powerbait, nightcrawlers and lures are all working. Fly-fishers have been catching some fish near the inlet with nymphs, streamers and dries.
Donner | Fishing has been fair to good. Kokanee fishing has been good. Nightcrawlers and Powerbait seem to be the main bait for shore anglers. Mackinaw fishing has been good. Fly-fishermen are catching some fish with streamers.
Lake Tahoe | All tributaries open only July 1 to Sept. 30. Fishing has been fair to good for mackinaw. A guide is highly recommended if you are fishing for mackinaw for the first time. Toplining and shore fishing is fair. Most shore fishermen use inflated nightcrawlers.
Little Truckee River | The flow is at 30 cfs and running low. Consider fishing in alternative waters.
Martis Lake | Zero kill. Catch and Release only with barbless artificial lures or flies. Fishing is the best early in the season and again the fall. This water is slow as the weather warms. Fall will be the next best bet to fish this water.
Prosser | Fishing has been fair to good. Anglers using bait, lures and flies have all caught fish. Fly-fishermen have done well near the inlet areas. Bass fishing has been slow.
Stampede | Fishing has been fair to good from shore. The ramp is not usable for larger boats. Nightcrawlers, Powerbait and lures have all produced from shore. Fly-fishermen have been doing well near the inlets with nymphs and streamers. The Kokanee fishing has been fair to good for those getting out. Smallmouth bass fishing has been fair.
Truckee River | Not flowing out of the lake at Tahoe City. The flows through Truckee are at 8 cfs, and the flow from Boca downstream to the state line is running at 78 cfs. Flows are too low for now. Please target alternative water and other species such as bass or carp.
Other Waters | Davis and Frenchman Boat, shore and fly anglers are catching fish. The damsel migration is now in full swing and Hexagenia Mayflies are showing at Davis. Some days the fish are extremely picky.
Bruce is a long-time area fly-fisherman and past president of Tahoe Truckee Fly Fishers. Visit TheTahoeWeekly.com to read more.
