Here’s your Eastern Sierra Fishing Report for 4-7-25. Our snowpack is now 91% of normal. Great news for the upcoming season, as this will definitely add some needed water to our lakes and reservoirs. Opening day is not very far off, and April 26th will be here before we know it. There is still a good amount of snow at higher elevation (as the cover photo shows Minaret Vista looking toward Mammoth Mountain from 4-3-25). The Lower Owens has been firing on all cylinders, from the Wild Trout Section to the drift boat sections. Lots of browns and rainbows have been readily taking flies throughout the day. Fish can be found in the riffle water and the deeper slower areas depending on the time of day. Flows are coming out of Pleasant Valley Reservoir at around 80 cfs. Wading has been very easy for the past months. Hot Creek is also showing more signs of life as we slip into springtime conditions. This week we will see a real above average rise in temperatures for this time of year. We may get hit with some precipitation going into the following weekend, but nothing major. The Upper Owens still has a few larger fish hanging in there, and the cutthroat trout should be starting to get ready for the move up river. Road conditions are mostly dry, so taking a vehicle in has not been an issue. We are starting to book up for the month of May, especially on Crowley Lake, so if you are planning on hiring a guide for that month, give us a call to reserve your spot. The Crowley Lake Fish Challenge is happening April 26th – June 29th. This is an important event for collecting data on the fish at Crowley Lake and will help the CDFW with managing the lakes fish population effectively. You will need to download the “My Catch” app for Android or iOS and watch the video on how to log your catch. Please remember to practice proper handling and catch and release when logging your catch to prevent unneeded stress to the fish. When handling larger fish or any fish that has undergone a long fight time when bringing it to net, please keep the fish in the water once it is netted. Give it plenty of time to recover, and only after it is holding upright in the water and kicking strong tail beats should you remove it for a measurement. Also, make sure before releasing the fish it is in the same strong condition it was in before your measurement and photo. Try and minimize the out of water time by having everything ready to go before handling the fish (phone out and ready with the app open for logging your catch, measurement device ready, choose an area where the fish will not be subjected to having its protective slime layer damaged from dry hands or high friction surfaces, etc.) You may register for the event and get more information here.
Rivers: Sierra Fishing Report
Upper Owens River still has a few of the larger rainbow trout stragglers hanging out. The majority of the trophy rainbows are back in the lake or far down river in the closed section. The cutthroat trout should start their migration up river in the coming days and weeks. The resident rainbows and browns, for now, have the river back to themselves. Pheasant Tails in #14-16, egg patterns, midges, leeches, and worm patterns (all variations) have been working well. Keep the nymphs in the #16 – 20 range. In the dry fly area, go with our Hi-Viz BWO’s #18 -20, Elk Caddis #16 -20, Stimulator #16 – 18, and Griffith’s Gnat #20.
Lower Owens River flows are sitting around 80 cfs. Wading is a breeze at these levels and these lower flows help concentrate the fish. Small nymphs in the Wild Trout Section have been fooling fish throughout the river, and the afternoon mayfly hatch has been a blast. Streamers launched from the drift boat have been picking up a good mix of rainbows and browns anywhere from 10 – 18″. Water clarity has been very good and the higher up river you go, the clearer it will get. Access is good on the roads along the river but there are some fresh puddles left over from the recent rains. The Gorge has been a good option for numbers.
Creeks: Sierra Fishing Report
Hot Creek’s access is completely open. Fishing has recently turned the corner here, as the browns are starting to get a bit more active. The afternoon bug hatches have been a blast, as BWO and recently smaller #20 caddis flies are on the menu. SJ worms #14 – 16, #18 Blood Midge, #18 – 20 Tungsten Zebra, #20 Bead Prince Nymph Tungsten, Broken Black and Blue Midge, #18 -20 Crystal Caddis Larva Green Black, #18 – 20 Crystal Copper Zebra Midge, #18 Flashback Hare’s Ear, #22 -24 Griffith’s Gnat, #20 Serendipity Black.
Thanks for reading our Eastern Sierra Fishing Report 4-7-25.
Check out our recent client catches:
Dave fished with Doug R. on the Lower Owens River and tied into this awesome rainbow trout.
Allen and Richard had a fun day getting into some rainbow trout while fishing with Doug R. on the Lower Owens River from the drift boat.
Jack got this nice rainbow trout while fishing with Doug R. on the Lower Owens River.
Chad fished with Doug R. and scored some pretty nice brown trout on the Lower Owens River.
Tanner got into some chunky rainbow trout with Doug R. on the Lower Owens River from the drift boat.
Dave with a colorful Lower Owens rainbow trout from the drift boat with Doug R.
Bob got into some fun rainbow trout on the Lower Owens with Doug R.
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