"It's like a secret Montana!" That's the way one good friend likes to put it, and he's right. Draw a circle of a hundred miles radius around Lake Tahoe on a map, and you have just encompassed some of the finest and most diverse trout angling in the country. What's more, there are venues for anglers of every skill level, with a variety of techniques producing fish, from the most complex deepwater trolling or fly casting methods to the simplest hook-and-sinker bait dunking.

Long time locals are generally familiar with the state of the salmonid here in our region, but visitors and recent transplants are often completely surprised when a large trout is brought to the scales at the tackle shop. Fishing fever is of course highly contagious, and after such an exposure people who have not wet a line in years, or sadder yet, never pursued trout, are hot to get in on the action. Many of the old salts who bring in the big ones are notoriously tight lipped, though, and the myriad options available only serve to confuse would-be anglers even further. For those starting from scratch, I recommend hiring one of the many excellent fishing guides in our area, but if you're ready to strike out on your own, you've chosen one of the best times of the year to do so. As the heat of summer wanes and the bumper-to-bumper traffic begins to decrease, trout become increasingly active, as cooler waters and shorter days combine to cause them to feed heavily in anticipation of the long winter.

In fact, there are enough great autumn fishing spots in the area to fill a book, and a lifetime- here's just a sample, a few of my personal favorites. Please consult the current sport-fishing regulations for complete rules on each water:

Heenan Lake: This is California's hatchery pond for the endangered Lahontan cutthroat trout, but amazingly, fishing is allowed here each fall, albeit with severe restrictions. All fish must be released, and only artificial lures or flies with barbless hooks may be used. The open season is also highly restricted- Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays only, sunrise to sunset, from the Friday before Labor Day through the last Sunday in October. Why do anglers put up with all these rules? The chance to catch large cutthroat trout in a small, high mountain lake! Located near Monitor Pass on Highway 89 in Alpine County, Heenan sits at an altitude of 7,200 feet, in a bowl surrounded by hills dotted with sagebrush and groves of aspen. Covering only 129 surface acres, it can be fished effectively from shore, and responds especially well to a properly captained canoe, kayak or float tube (no gas motors are permitted). Fly anglers use sinking or sink-tip lines, pulling woolly buggers, prince nymphs, and freshwater shrimp patterns, while spinning aficionados hook trout on flashy, spoons or spinners such as Kastmasters and Panther Martins. Even fishing the hatchery pond is no sure thing, though, as the cutthroat tend to go on sprees, refusing to bite for several hours, then hitting aggressively for short periods- be patient, and ready always for the fish of lifetime. Mixed in with the ubiquitous 14 to 18 inch cutthroat are numerous fish in the five to six pound range.

Expect to see a game warden at the parking area, scanning the entire lake with binoculars. You should bring yours, too, for a better look at the bald eagles and cinnamon colored bears, both of which frequent the lake for their own chance to catch fish. Early reports this year are of slow fishing, with low, warm water and algae blooms making the fish sluggish and lure or fly presentation difficult. Be patient, though- nights have been turning colder of late, and fishing commonly improves every week until the end of the short season. Heenan Lake Map

East Carson River: Another Alpine County gem, this freestone stream parallels Highway 89 for several miles near the historic old-west town of Markleeville, then winds away from the road, just outside town, plunging through canyon walls eleven miles to the Nevada border. The roadside stretch is stocked heavily with hatchery rainbows, and fishing has been great this spring and summer for those wishing to bring the kids, drown some worms and take home a five-fish limit of trout. All area rivers are quite low and clear at this time though, and stocking programs have been reduced or suspended. The fishing is correspondingly more difficult, but for those willing to trade their lawn chairs and coolers of beer for hiking boots and a sense of adventure, excellent angling can still be found in the roadless, rugged wild trout section, downstream of Hangman's Bridge. Like Heenan Lake, this section of the river can be fished only with barbless artificial lures, and no trout may be kept. What's the point? Hard fighting, gorgeous wild rainbows, with an occasional brown or cutthroat as well. In the current low-water conditions, fly fishing is the most productive method; try beadhead nymphs, bumped along the bottom in the whitewater heads of pools, or caddis dry flies, drifted through the smoother glides and tailouts. Fishing can be great right below the bridge, and only improves as you travel further downstream into the wilderness. Bring plenty of water, and watch for rattlesnakes in the lower canyon. Tell someone where you went as well, and when you expect to be back. This is a prudent precaution for any backcountry fishing foray.

Recent local reports on this water have also been somewhat negative, with the fish described as "skittish" and "spooky", due to the low, clear water. I think this may just be a conspiracy among the local fly fishing guides to keep the river to themselves impress their clients. Don't believe it! I have had some fantastic trips lately, dead-drifting nymphs in the seams of the faster water. Yes, stealth is required- I have had my best action in the early mornings, before direct sunlight hits the canyon floor. I also wear drab colored clothing in greens and tans, and crouch or kneel at streamside to make my initial casts. It is also commonly reported that compared to other, more fertile eastern sierra streams, the East Carson has a very low trout-per-mile count. If this is true, then on a recent outing I must have actually hooked every single one in the stretch I fished. I released close to three dozen fish in one morning, taking ten from a single pool. Most were small rainbows, from 8 to 12 inches, but one fat, flopping leaper went more than 22 inches and over four pounds. The season on this stream runs through November 15, and if we get much rain before then, the big brown trout of the lower river will move upstream in their spawning run, providing additional trophy-trout opportunities. East Carson River Map

Caples Lake: Okay, so you'd rather avoid the rattlesnakes entirely, you have a bum knee that acts up when hiking, and what you really want is a trout for the table, not a catch-and-release photograph. Fine! Go to Caples! This lake is just before Kirkwood Ski Resort on Highway 88, and the highway actually travels across the top of Caples Dam, providing easy access for shore anglers. Regular trout fishing regulations apply here, with bait and barbed hooks permitted for pursuing the four species that live in the lake- brook, brown, rainbow and mackinaw trout. Boaters can find exceptional trolling action; I've been having productive trips all season trolling nightcrawlers behind dodgers from my canoe. My last trip, on September 12, produced great numbers of rainbows and brookies to 15 inches, and my friends and I have been catching some larger, three to four pound holdover rainbows recently as well. The lake freezes over in winter, and as the water cools in October and November, shorefishing can also be red hot. Brook trout stage near the dam to spawn on the rocky lake bottom, the large browns that were hard to find all summer suddenly reappear, and even the lake's deepwater denizens, the mackinaw, move into near-shore shallows. If we get enough early snowfall, you can even ski Kirkwood and fish Caples in the same day! How's that for an outdoor experience? Caples Lake Map

Of course, in any description of autumn fishing in the Tahoe area, mention must be made of The Big Lake itself, which offers world class trout fishing year round. During summer, much of this angling is done two hundred feet down, using ocean-worthy boats, fish-finding sonar units, steel wireline and electric downriggers. Come fall though, as the surface temperature drops and the whine of the jetskis fades, there are excellent small-boat opportunities for light tackle toplining. Large wild rainbow and brown trout prowl rocky shorelines, hitting trolled minnows and minnow imitating lures such as Rebels or Rapalas near the surface. Apparently, this trend has already started, as my friend Jeff Keyser called me the other day to tell me of a great trolling trip with his father off the Nevada shoreline, north of Dead Man's Point. They scored on good numbers of wild rainbows, taken trolling homemade, deep-diving plugs without additional weight or downriggers. Even shore anglers can get into the act, with Cave Rock State Park a good place to start.

For tips and tackle, visit Tahoe Fly Fishing Outfitters, The Sportsman, or Longs Drugs, all in South Lake Tahoe. This town has even more fishing experts than snowboard punks with goatees, pierced tongues and barb-wire tattoos.

Until next time, remember, never stand in a canoe!
Mark Wiza
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