Stampede Reservoir near Truckee is a strong early summer kokanee fishery with trout mixed in. Brett Brady finds fish up the Little Truckee arm, running 25 to 35 feet deep in late May and 35 to 45 feet deep in early June. Slow troll an Uncle Larry's kokanee spinner behind a dodger in pink, orange, and purple. Expect kokanee from 8 to 11 inches on a 5 fish, 11 inch limit, plus quality trout up the arm.
What is biting at Stampede Reservoir?
Kokanee lead the show, with trout mixed in. Brett Brady describes the Stampede kokanee bite as off the wall in early summer, concentrated up the Little Truckee arm. He also finds quality trout up the same arm where the Little Truckee dumps in, so a kokanee trip often produces bonus rainbows.
Where do you find fish at Stampede Reservoir?
Head up the Little Truckee arm. That is where Brett Brady locates the bulk of the kokanee and the better trout. Fish stack in the arm and up toward the inlet where the Little Truckee River dumps in, so start there and work the arm before covering the main lake.
How deep are the kokanee at Stampede?
Mid depth, and getting deeper as summer builds. Brett Brady found Stampede kokanee 25 to 35 feet deep in late May, then 35 to 45 feet deep about a week later in early June. Set your gear in that band and use your sonar to stay on the fish as the season progresses.
How do you catch kokanee at Stampede?
Slow troll a spinner behind a dodger. Kokanee are a slow troll target, so Brett Brady runs an Uncle Larry's kokanee spinner behind a dodger and tips it with corn. Pink, orange, and purple were the producing colors. Keep your speed slow so the dodger swings and the spinner rolls.
What colors work for Stampede kokanee?
Pink, orange, and purple. Brett Brady reports those colors on Uncle Larry's spinners all working well up the Little Truckee arm. Kokanee are famously color fickle, so carry those three and rotate until one gets bit, then match the rest of your rods to it.
How big are Stampede kokanee and what is the limit?
Two size classes. Brett Brady sees lots of little kokanee around 8 inches and a bigger group up to about 11 inches that you have to hunt for, with nothing much above that. The limit runs 5 fish at an 11 inch minimum, so plan on sorting to fill a limit of keepers.
Are there trout at Stampede Reservoir?
Yes. Brett Brady got into some nice trout up the Little Truckee arm, near where the river dumps in. While the kokanee are the main draw in early summer, the trout share that same water, so keep a trout rod ready when you are working the arm for kokanee.
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Fishing Stampede Reservoir for kokanee and trout FAQ
Early summer. Brett Brady's late May and early June reports both describe a strong Stampede kokanee bite up the Little Truckee arm. As the season warms, the fish settle a little deeper, moving from 25 to 35 feet toward 35 to 45 feet over the course of a week or two.
A slow troll kokanee setup. Brett Brady runs Uncle Larry's spinners behind a dodger. Add a light kokanee rod, a dodger, and corn to tip the hooks. Pink, orange, and purple are the colors to start with up the Little Truckee arm.
Stampede holds two clear size classes. Brett Brady finds an abundant group around 8 inches and a less common group up to about 11 inches. The little ones come easy while the keepers take some hunting, so expect to release a lot of shorts to build a limit.
Yes. Brett Brady notes the bigger 11 inch class is mixed in and takes some hunting, since the small fish are everywhere. Work different stretches of the Little Truckee arm and adjust depth within the 25 to 45 foot band until you find the better grade of fish.
Often, yes. Both share the Little Truckee arm at Stampede in early summer. Brett Brady picked up nice trout in the same water he fished for kokanee. Keep one rod set for trout and the rest on your slow troll kokanee spinners to cover both species.
A 5 fish limit at 11 inches is modest but excellent eating. Brett Brady points out the limit math means a small pile of fillets, yet Stampede kokanee are prime table fare. Keep only what you will use and release the abundant shorts to fish another day.
