GUIDED LAKE TAHOE FISHING TRIPS
Our guided Lake Tahoe Fishing Trips are kind of a “best of both worlds” type of deal in which you get to go chase Lake Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout & Cutthroat Trout (depending on time of year)…all the while gettingt to see the the crown jewel of the Sierras from a unique perspective.
Captain JD Richey been at this since 1998 and takes pride in providing the most comfortable and relaxing experience in the biz! He’s especially great with families and kids, so you know you’ll always have a great day on the water.
JD is a US Coast Guard-licensed Captain and is a licensed guide in California, Nevada and Alaska. A light tackle specialist, he uses top-notch gear that’s perfectly matched to the style of fishing, which means you get maximum enjoyment out of your day.
Depending on prevailing conditions and time of year, we target Mackinaw (“lake trout”), Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout & Cutthroat Trout.
LAKE TROUT
Mackinaw, aka, “Lake Trout,” are the largest predators in the lake and can occasionally top 20 pounds (the lake record is over 30 pounds), though the bulk of them average 3 to 5 pounds.
They are delicious on the grill — their flesh is oily and pink like salmon. Not to get too geeky on you, but Lake Trout aren’t actually trout at all — they are members of the char family, which are cousins of salmon and trout. “Macks” are available year-round.
Kokanee Salmon
Kokanee salmon are the best eating fish in Lake Tahoe. Pint-sized cousins of ocean going sockeye salmon, they have bright silver flanks on the outside — and beautiful orange meat on the inside. They don’t grow to massive sizes — Tahoe kokanee typically run 12-15 inches but what they lack in stature, they more than make up for in fighting ability and table fare. Best months to hunt salmon on Lake Tahoe are July-Oct.
RAINBOW TROUT
Lake Tahoe’s rainbows are awesome fish! When hooked, they jump like crazy and burn a bunch of line off your reel. They typically average 3-4 pounds but fish like the 8 pounder in the above photo show up every spring.
BROWN TROUT
Brown trout in Lake Tahoe can reach big sizes — potentially up to 15 pounds but the average fish runs 3 to 5 pounds. Gorgeous and aggressive, they are one of our favorite fish to target! Best fishing for them occurs in the spring and fall.
CUTTHROAT TROUT
Lahontan cutthroat trout were the native trout in Lake Tahoe but went extinct back in the 1800’s due to over-harvest by commercial fishing and habitat loss. In recent years, there’s been an effort to repopulate the lake with its original inhabitants. We have yet to see any of the 30- to 40-pound fish the lake was historically known for but the jury’s still out. We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, we catch decent numbers of fish up to about 3 pounds.
LOCATION
Trips depart from the Tahoe Keys Marina in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
How We Fish
We specialize in Light Tackle to ensure you’ll have the most fun catching fish. No heavy ocean gear here! Jigging, Trolling & Live Bait are our main techniques and to further your enjoyment, we use high-end Douglas Outdoors graphite rods which are light and extremely sensitive.
What We Provide
All fishing gear
Fish cleaning
Restaurant suggestions where you can have you catch cooked
MacDuff’s Pub in South Lake Tahoe will do an amazing job of cooking your catch!
OUR BOAT
Our comfortable & stable 26’ River Wild Boat features:
• Fully enclosed, heated cabin
• Spacious rear fishing deck
• Top-notch safety and navigational equipment
Your Day
Your fishing trip, unless otherwise specified, will begin just before dawn (exact times depend on time of year, weather, etc). Once on the water, we will give a brief seminar on the day’s techniques and then fishing begins!
What You Need to Bring
Fishing license and appropriate stamps
(Purchase licenses online HERE)Lunch and drinks
Rain gear, sun screen and a hat
Camera
Ice chest to keep fillets fresh on the way home
Deposit
A $100 deposit is required to hold your date.
Rates
$250/person
Fishing trips begin at dawn and run 4.5 hours, dock to dock. We also offer afternoon trips which begin at 4PM..
All tackle and fishing gear and fish cleaning is provided.
CONTACT US
We’re here to answer any questions about your trip you may have. Feel free to reach out! (916) 952-1595
Or if you prefer, you can always book online below:
