The Most Important Fishing Tips When Fishing In Lake Tahoe
With every different lake or stream in the world comes a varied way of fishing, and what may work in one stream just simply may not work in another stream. Whether it’s down to the shape of the river, the current, the climate, or the persona of the fish that live there. You should never just expect to jump straight in and become a pro when you have never fished there before.
That’s why we wanted to offer you some tips today on where to fish and what you really need to know when you venture to the vast lakes of Lake Tahoe.
Speak to The Locals it Really Does Help
Our first tip is to use your mouth and there is no better tool in your fishing arsenal than to actually speak to locals who are experienced with the lakes around Tahoe. Just by having a 20 minute chat you can easily find out all the do’s and don’ts of fishing in the area. They can offer you certain tips that you would never normally be able to know without speaking to a local fisherman, and they can give you guidance on the baits, lines and reels that work best in the waters of this area.
This method in itself is much better than you going into your fishing trip with just trial and error because the chances are you are going to come away disappointed if you just aren’t prepared enough.
North and South Lakes of Tahoe
Off Highway 88 you have the Southern parts of Lake Tahoe which brings a different environment and a different set of rules on how you are going to fish. If you head up the other end of the lake you will come to Donner Lake which isn’t too far from downtown Truckee which is another hotspot for fishing. Donner Lake is one of the more active lakes in the area and offers everything that the Southern Caples lakes do, including Kokanee.
Big Mackinaw Are Your Prime Tahoe Catch
Mackinaw Trout are without doubt the most popular type of fish in the Lake Tahoe area, and some of them have grown to be in excess of 30 pounds over the last several decades. Catching them requires a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge on the local area and the equipment you are going to be using in order to net such a big fish.
This is why we mentioned talking to locals as a biggest tip in this guide, because believe us you will need that information at hand.
Deep line troll at least 8- feet with large flashers are probably your best equipment of choice and any local will back this up for you. There is also the drift fishing method with live minnows or night crawlers, or jigging with flashy lures. All of these methods have been known to be good practice ways of getting some nice big Macs.
How to Catch Other Prominent Fish in the Area
Lake Tahoe is also home to other species of fish, from the brown trout and brook trout, to the Kokanee, Rainbow trout and even the golden trout which is now becoming much of a rarer site in this neck of the woods.
Brown trout and Brook trout are two different species so you will have to alter your methods slightly to get the most out of your fishing experience at Lake Tahoe when you come to catching either of these.
Using night crawlers or lures in the Summer season before dusk are you best bet for taking brown trout, and they are always around rocky bottoms. If you are looking to take the brook trout then smaller lures and worms are going to offer the best forms of bait for you, and they will be roaming around in different temperatures than the brown trout. Higher elevation lakes are where brown trout are going to be more prevalent to you.
The Salmon in Lake Tahoe is also delicious, and the Kokanee in particular is a fish that is landlocked in the Northern parts of the lakes. You want to be heading out in early Spring to late summer time if you want to get the best catches, and you won’t get them form a shoreline position so do be prepared to drift fish or walk out into the lake in order to get your catch.
Make Sure Your Equipment is in Good Condition
With any fishing trip you don’t want to get there and find out you have brought the wrong equipment, or brought broken components as it can either put a nice hole in your bank balance and wallet or it could end up cutting your journey and experience short.
Always make sure that your last minute preparations consist of checking over your equipment before you head off.