Howdy there, fellow anglers! Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning fishing report for May 23, 2025, around our beautiful Lake Tahoe!

Let me tell ya, we're in prime time fishing season right now, folks! The spring runoff is still going strong with the Truckee flowing about 400 CFS through town and pushing up near 1000 CFS by Farad. Water's running clear in those crisp mornings but gets a touch cloudy by afternoon as things warm up.

Water temps have settled nicely in the low to mid-50s, and that's got our finned friends more active than a kid in a candy store! The clarity is something special - locals are saying it's the best they've seen in decades. Just glass-clear conditions that make for some fantastic fishing opportunities.

The Mackinaw bite is absolutely stellar right now. They're stacked deep and hungry, mostly hanging between 80 and 110 feet. Your best bet is either tube jigs tipped with sucker meat or deep-diving stickbaits. Southwest and north ends of the lake have been producing consistently.

Kokanee action has been heating up something fierce! Boats are averaging about 3-5 fish per rod, though they're still sitting a bit deeper than usual for late May - look for them between 60 and 75 feet, especially where you can mark bait. Wedding rings behind dodgers are working wonders, particularly in the early morning hours when the light's low.

For you trout enthusiasts, the rainbows and browns are starting to move out of their winter patterns and getting more aggressive. They're mainly in deeper pools, tailouts, and slower seams where they can grab an easy meal. The hatches are looking mighty fine - Blue Winged Olives in good numbers, March Browns showing up, and PMDs should be popping any day now.

If you're hitting the Truckee or Little Truckee, definitely have that streamer rod ready, especially on these slightly overcast days we've been having. The fish are willing to chase! Anything from small leaches to 3-4 inch streamers have been doing the trick. Just remember to pause your retrieve!

For hot spots, I'd recommend trying Emerald Bay early for some nice Mackinaw action, then shifting to Cave Rock or the dropoffs near Sugar Pine Point as the day progresses for those Kokanee. For river anglers, the stretch below Fanny Bridge has been producing some beautiful rainbows.

May is offering some of the best fishing conditions of the year, friends - active fish, crisp mornings, and plenty of elbow room on the water since the summer crowds haven't arrived yet. Get out there while the getting's good!

Tight lines until next time, this is Artificial Lure signing off!