Dio (pictured above) tied into this massive brown trout on Hot Creek.
Here’s your Eastern Sierra Fishing Report for 4-6-26. A few cold fronts have passed through the area with very minimal precipitation, but plenty of wind. There is another system that may bring some rain this week by Thursday night and going into the weekend. With the arrival of April, anticipation is high for opening day which will take place on April 25. It has turned out to be an odd spring since most of our snowpack has melted early with the non-seasonal heat wave we have had in California during the month of March. What this means is we will have plenty of water to start the season and go into the summer, but by fall we will most likely be experiencing lower than normal water levels in the lakes and streams by fall. The early thaw of Crowley Lake this year, which never froze completely, means the fish got a head start on feeding. It should be a good bite right out of the gate this year. Hot Creek has been fishing pretty good with the fish in spring mode now. Small midges like zebras and black beauties have been working well under the surface, with #18 Adams and #22 Griffith’s Gnats doing the job when the fish are feeding on top. Water is very clear, especially in the mornings before the runoff brings some dirty water in from Mammoth Creek. The canyon is also fishing well with the same flies. The Upper Owens is still holding a few large fish in it. It’s a hunt right now to find them, but if you’re still after a large rainbow you still may be able to get a few. Otherwise, the resident fish are feeding aggressively on smaller nymphs, and they are very aggressive with dry flies now. The BWO hatch in the afternoons is quite fun for the resident browns and rainbows. The cutthroat may show early this year, due to the early springtime conditions. The Lower Owens has been having quite the river flow fluctuation. One day it’ll be at 280 cfs and the next at 160 cfs. This has been moving the fish around, as they have to change their holding areas depending on what the flows do. The water is a little cloudy now, but seeking out the soft edges or deeper pools has been producing some fish. Wading has become a little tougher at these flows, and the drift boat section is fishing similar to the Wild Trout section. The Gorge has been a good stop, with clear water and fish that are willing to feed. Dry droppers and nymphs under the indicator are working well, and some wild browns are being caught around the power plant at PVR too.
Creeks: Sierra Fishing Report
Hot Creek The fish are transitioning into spring feeding mode now. They are really keying in on buggy patterns like midges, mayflies, scuds, etc. The hatch in the afternoon has really picked up in the last couple of weeks. The weather feels like spring and early summer rather than winter now, but this will change with a slight cool down and some possible rain later this week. There is still run off coming from Mammoth Creek, so early morning fishing is good. It’s site fishing in the Interpretive Site and the canyon section is also producing well with less fishing pressure. Small midges and various nymphs are getting the fish’s attention now and #18 BWO’s are picking them off in the afternoon.
Rivers: Sierra Fishing Report
Upper Owens River is going through what we call its transition time. The trophy rainbows have mostly moved out but there are still some lingering. They are still in the usual spots, but you definitely have to look for them now. The resident fish are aggressive and hungry, so most standard nymph patterns in #16-20 are working for them. Have some #18 BWO patterns and midge clusters on hand for the top water bite. A few caddis are also getting looks and takes too.
Lower Owens River flows have been an up and down game lately. Flows are rising and then dropping from day to day. This has caused some clarity loss in the water, but when the flows hold at a fixed rate for a few days the bite starts to pick up. The water will be clearer the further upstream you go, and you can focus on the edges with soft water and slower pools when the flows rise. The mayfly hatch is coming off around early afternoon now and smaller streamers can be fun to pick off some larger fish.
Seth fished with Two Bug Doug on the Upper Owens River and bested this healthy rainbow trout.
Seth with another nice one while fishing with Doug Dolan.
Seth’s dad Ryan also got into a few nice rainbow trout while fishing with Two Bug Doug.
Scott fished with Doug R. on the Lower Owens River and got into a few rainbow trout.
Nathan with another great rainbow trout.
Beverley fished with Doug R. and got into a few nice rainbow trout on Hot Creek.