Independence Lake is a beautiful glacier-cut lake located less than an hour's drive from Truckee…read more Here, you can borrow one of the small fleet of kayaks and fishing boats ~after first filling out a registration waiver~. No outside watercraft are allowed! This is to protect and preserve the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that are native to this habitat. Outside watercraft are risky because they may unknowingly transport foreign mollusks that are detrimental to the health of the trout living there. If fishing waders are used, there is a wader scrubbing/washing station located at the registration area. There are Nature Conservancy staff people on site if you have further questions. I found them informative and helpful. The loaner kayaks are located to the left side of the lake. The ones on the right side are for staff members. Every other week, ~only~ the kayaks are allowed out. Call to check the calendar schedule to avoid disappointment if you want to use one of the motorized boats. They require a motorized boater's card {available online at https://www.boat-ed.com/california/) There are single person and tandem person sit-on-top kayaks available. after 8AM Thursdays through Sundays. Loaner PFDs are also available in standard sizes. I recommend getting there early morning after opening while the water is calm. I was told that later in the day, the wind can pick up. This makes paddling a kayak to get backk across a lot more difficult. You may fish using barbless hooks. Only artificial lures are permitted. All trout caught must be released. Kokanee salmon are an invasive species here. Fishermen are allowed to keep those. Limit 5 per day, or 10 per trip, total. No live bait. There is no overnight camping on the Conservancy's grounds. There are campgrounds at nearby Webber Lake and Lake of the Woods.

Independence Lake Preserve is an amazing place to enjoy the high Sierras. The best part is the free…read morekayaks that are available to anyone who signs a waiver. How cool and inclusive is that? You get to Independence Lake Preserve from highway 80 by heading north on 89 and then turning L at the "Little Truckee Summit OHV/Snowmobile" area, which is on a road labeled "07." It's the turn you'd take if you wanted to go to the Mt. Lola trailhead or Webber Lake Campground, which are also nearby. You'll need an offroad capable vehicle to make it over a water crossing and two miles of rocky road. There are lots of signs that explain that no watercraft are allowed, because Independence Lake is one of the two places in the world with a wild, self-sustaining lake population of Lahontan cutthroat trout. That's why they care so much about not letting folks put their own watercraft on the lake: they might unintentionally introduce invasive species. When we pulled up (with a canoe on our Jeep: we didn't know the rules beforehand), a ranger came out to verbally explain things to us and to let us know about the free kayaks to use. I was pleasantly surprised that there were not a lot of bugs out in July 2022. The last time we were in this area, which was maybe July three years ago, there were so, so, so many bugs. We came armed with bug spray but didn't need it! There are hiking trails around the preserve as well. The lake is large and beautiful, and the view of Mt. Lola is spectacular.

This was highly recommended on Yelp and another site…read more However I went on two trips and both disappointed. I spent approximately 1600$+ on both trips for my family not including tips. I did the cast and catch for 5 people. I found it overpriced. The guide left for 30 minutes and just let us practice on the golf course without any instruction. The golf course was in play as well which was a little odd. The pond was full of weeds and while we did have the experience, I was not worth 200$ plus per person. I asked for a discount because I was a large group. They did not agree. The second trip was far worse, we went to a location that was nice. I went with my two kids aged 12 and 13. I found the guide to be aggressive and somewhat unpleasant. It was uncomfortable to me and something I'm not used to. But I wanted my kids to have a good time as it was their first time. The payment arrangement was not clear as well. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, I also tipped the guide just out of habit. I gave more than 15%. But in the end I was left with a sour taste in my mouth and regretted using this outfitter. I contacted Matt and let him know. No action was taken, Disappointed and I will not use this guide service next time I'm back in Tahoe.

What a great outfit. We had very little fly fishing experience but Matt was terrific with the…read morelessons..lots of patience, easy instructions and just overall a great experience. Highly recommend.

Jim has over 25 years of fly fishing the Truckee River under his belt. He spends every day on the…read moreTruckee River and enjoys sharing his vast knowledge with clients. He's fun, entertaining and a skillful teacher and mentor.

Awesome time on the water. Jim spent hours with me and my son detailing all aspects of fly fishing,…read morefrom the habits of birds and bugs, to proper casting techniques. If you're looking for a complete fly fishing lesson, look no further. Jim has been on the Truckee for 30 years and has a 10 detailed Blog for every month. Wealth of information, thanks for sharing!

We had an amazing fishing trip! The captain was friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend…read morecharter to anyone looking for a great day on the water. We could lake trout

Went out on our third trip with Captain Danny this weekend. He's a true professional and an…read moreabsolute pleasure to fish with. This time we brought all the kids and a minute after wetting a line we were into fish once again. Can't say enough about Captain Danny and his charter service. I would highly recommend it to any group from a family outing to the most experienced fishermen looking to explore the Lake Tahoe fishery. Thank you so much, Danny. Can't wait until our next visit!!

Such a wonderful spot for day use lake access! Being able to drive around most of the lake right on…read morethe shoreline and hang out at the waters edge with your vehicle right there is so convenient. The water is clean and not as cold as some other Sierra lakes, other families were respectful and the boating/kayaking was calm for a Saturday in the middle of summer. We very much enjoyed our day there and will be returning for more kayak adventures!

Our group made arrangements with the USDA for winter camping. Forest Service reps were extremely…read morehelpful. Being Prepared is most important in the success of the event. Great in spring, summer and fall. Has restroom facilities, walking trails, parking areas, picnic tables, established fire pits.

Enjoyed an early walk here. Yes there are a lot of homeless around, however I'm a woman who travels…read morea lot alone with her daughter. We needed to use the restroom, a guy was sitting directly outside the door minding his own business. I noticed he was smoking out of a crack pipe, he nodded as we walked by, and I gave him a glare and glanced towards my daughter. He nodded back that he understood, and didn't hit it again u til we were walking away. All of them minded their own business, and didn't bother us at all. We acknowledged them, said good morning and kept moving! It was nice to enjoy the area, art, and local wildlife! Great area that felt safe at all times. The surrounding areas were all very clean, the restrooms were also clean and maintained.

Just an update from my first review 10 years ago…read more The walking path between the east end of Riverside Drive and the Booth Street bridge is now open!!!! The pathway is now double the width and does some gentle meandering around the trees. It will be a lot more accessible for people with mobility issues. The new landscaping is beautiful. The banks of the river have been raised and reinforced to decrease flooding damage. And just a reminder- dogs and other pets are still welcome and must be leashed or otherwise contained. Bicycles, scooters, and skateboards are not allowed. This is one of the top places to visit in downtown.

We hiked the Marlette Lake Trail from Spooner Lake to Marlette Lake as a backpacking trip for my…read morefriend's bachelorette party! We added some extra distance at the end by hiking to the Marlette Peak Campground to stay for the night. From the parking lot to the campground was about 7 miles each way. The trail itself was well-maintained, moderate difficulty, and had everything you'd want in a good hike! Solid trail conditions. Beautiful mountain and lake views. Some sections of wildflowers. A good amount of sun but also some shaded parts. Gradual incline that never felt super steep, so the elevation gain felt manageable. We saw people hiking as well as mountain biking on this trail. There are several sections of aspen trees along this hike, so it's a great one to come back and do in the fall once the leaves turn yellow. The trailhead area has great facilities, the bathrooms were clean and there is ample parking. The park rangers I spoke to were friendly and helpful. There is a $10/car entry into this area but it's totally worth it, especially when you see how well they take care of it. I loved this hike and will continue to come back to Spooner for hikes in the future!

There are a few ways to reach Marlette Lake, all of them totally worth it, especially this time of…read moreyear. This trail takes you around Spooner Lake and up to Marlette. It's a 9 mile out and back with fairly gradual elevation gain, up through the trees, until you reach the lake. A great little workout. Marlette sits along the Flume Trail, so you're likely to see a lot of mountain bikers. Fun fact: The Flume Trail got its name because Marlette and the tributaries that feed it were part of a log flume system to carry logs used to build our region all the way down from as far as Virginia City! Marlette has a short fishing season, but people say it's grand if you make the trip. Of course you need to hike in to have that experience. This is definitely a trail worth checking out in our area!