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Verdi through Reno to Vista: trophy browns and Pilot Peak cutthroat in town. The river tops out around 8 ft. The contours come from a model of the real basin shape and its known max depth. Read them as probabilities, not soundings, and keep them out of navigation decisions. Every species below gets its seasonal read from the same numbers driving the chart.
Traced from the shoreline, Truckee River (Nevada) runs 514 acres with 38.6 miles of edge, with a single island in the mix. With a shoreline index of 12.1, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. All of it is shallow-zone water — under ~15 ft across the entire basin, so the food chain has the run of the place. Figure 15.7 mi of water from one end to the other, 1.9 mi at the beam. The water lies in Washoe County. The nearest mapped water is Virginia Lake, 2 mi to the southeast.
When the water first warms, brown trout slide up into 1 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 1 to 8 ft. Start at Hunter Creek Dam tailrace. It's a dam tailrace holding about 7 ft of water and rates prime come spring. The feeding windows run after dark and early morning. Keep a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 1 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | night & dawn | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 1 to 8 ft | dusk & dawn | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 1 to 8 ft | dawn | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 2 to 8 ft. Summer keeps them at 2 to 8 ft, and they winter in 2 to 8 ft. Spring rainbow trout concentrate at Hunter Creek Dam tailrace, a prime-rated dam tailrace around 7 ft. Fish it in early morning and the evening and you'll meet the bite. You won't need more than a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon most summer days.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Hunter Creek Dam tailrace (7 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
When the water first warms, cutthroat trout slide up into 2 to 8 ft. There's no big seasonal slide here — summer means 2 to 8 ft, winter 2 to 8 ft. Start at Riffle & run (mile 18.1). It's a rock pile holding about 3 ft of water and rates prime come fall. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. Keep a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 8.1) (4 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Tailout eddy (mile 8.1) (4 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 2 to 8 ft | dawn & dusk | Riffle & run (mile 18.1) (3 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 2 to 8 ft | dawn | Tailout eddy (mile 8.1) (4 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Structure-wise the chart holds 13 features, led in depth by Hunter Creek Dam tailrace at roughly 7 ft.
Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Nevada waters are set by the Nevada Department of Wildlife — and special regulations can apply to Truckee River (Nevada) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Nevada fishing regulations →
Truckee River (Nevada) is about 8 ft (2 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout on Truckee River (Nevada).
Hunter Creek Dam tailrace is the top-rated area: a dam tailrace in about 7 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in spring. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Fishing on Truckee River (Nevada) is regulated by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Check the official Nevada regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Virginia Lake 2 mi · Sparks Marina 6 mi · Washoe Lake 17 mi · Hobart Reservoir 22 mi · Marlette Lake 24 mi · Spooner Lake 28 mi · White Rock Lake 29 mi, CA · Lake Tahoe 31 mi, CA/NV · Frenchman Lake 34 mi, CA · Cascade Lakes, Upper 35 mi, CA · Fordyce Lake 35 mi, CA · Meadow Lake 35 mi, CA
See how Truckee River (Nevada) stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Nevada · best brown trout lakes in Nevada · best cutthroat trout lakes in Nevada
More water nearby: Washoe County fishing maps (10 charts). Browse all Nevada fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.