Here’s your Eastern Sierra Fishing Report for 5-20-25. It has been an up and down ride each weekend as some cold fronts have pushed through with minor precipitation, but lots of wind. The weekdays were very nice with sunny and warm days for the eastern sierra and the forecast is calling for a warm and dry holiday weekend, with some windy days for Thursday and Friday. Creek and rivers will be running cold and fast with the warmer weather. Crowley Lake has been excellent for fishing in most locations. Fish are being caught from 12 – 20 feet all over the lake. The rainbows are exceptionally girthy for this early in the season. The Upper Owens River has its share of cutthroat trout that have moved in for the spring spawn. The resident rainbows and browns are actively feeding through the day along with some hatchery fish below the bridge. Hot Creek is good in the mornings before the runoff gets too bad and discolors the water. The Lower Owens River is on the rise but if flows stabilize there are still some fun hatches to fish here. East Walker River is at a good flow of 132 cfs and fish have moved back into the miracle mile again. The alpine lakes have been fun for float tubers pulling streamers.
Lakes: Sierra Fishing Report
Crowley Lake has been giving up an epic bite at times and very consistent fishing for this early season. Even in the wind, the fish have been on the chew taking midges at deep levels at times but mostly feeding in the 12 – 20′ depth. Sandy Point, Alligator Point, Hilton Bay and Six Bays have been very productive each day. Midges have been the main fly, but assassins are also getting fish. It has been mostly rainbows and browns with the occasional cutthroat. The rainbows are extremely thick and super aggressive this year. There are quite a bit of Sacramento Perch around too. Sometimes they move in and take over the trout bite. Varying your depth may minimize the perch and get into more trout instead. #14 – 18 Blood Midge, #16 – 18 Mud Candy, #16 Light Assassin, #16-20 Copper Tiger Midge, #16 – 20 SD Chironomidge, and #16 – 20 Light and Dark Gillie’s are great patterns currently.
Rivers: Sierra Fishing Report
Upper Owens River has more cutthroat moving throughout the river. Please take care to not fish to paired up and spawning fish. Also, look out for redds where the trout lay there eggs. You will notice a lighter colored depression in the gravel in a large circle or oval shape. Do not walk through them, please go around them. The resident browns and rainbows are making for some fun action all over the river. They have been eager to take most smaller nymphs presented properly. 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 now at 347 cfs. Water is off color. Wading is tough at these flows. Small nymphs in the Wild Trout Section have been fooling fish throughout the river, and the afternoon mayfly hatch has been a blast, but the sudden increase will slow fishing way down. Water clarity has been off color but the higher up river you go, the clearer it will get. The Gorge has been a good option for numbers.
East Walker River flows are now at 132 cfs. Good flow for moving the fish around a bit. Now that the oxygen level in the water has stabilized, the fish have moved back into the miracle mile section. With the big fish kill of last year, hampering fishing in the first couple river miles, we are happy to see the mid sized and some larger fish move back into this section. The East Walker River has an incredible amount of feed in it to help these fish grow at a fast rate. If flows don’t jump up too rapidly, it will continue to fish well here this spring.
Creeks: Sierra Fishing Report
Hot Creek’s has been fishing well in the morning prior to the runoff in the afternoons. Surface action has been really fun here as the fish move into the shallows and feed heavily on midges mid morning. A properly presented Griffith’s Gnat #22-24 will get instant takes. You have to be lighting fast with your reaction to the take, but very gentle when setting the hook. Some bigger rainbows and browns are hanging a little deeper and further out of view on the opposite banks. Both sections of the creek are fishing well. 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 5-20-25.
Check out our recent client catches:
Clay had a great day on Crowley Lake with guide Two Bug Doug and shows off this stellar rainbow trout.
Jim got this nice rainbow trout while fishing with Two Bug Doug on Crowley Lake.
Jim with a large rainbow trout.
Tyler displays an awesome rainbow trout while fishing with Two Bug Doug on Crowley Lake.
Troy with a fine Crowley Lake rainbow trout while fishing with Two Bug Doug.
Andrew got this large rainbow trout while fishing with Doug Dolan on Crowley Lake.
Allen and Joe got into a good bite of rainbow and brown trout on Crowley Lake with Doug R.
Ayden fished with Doug R. and got this awesome cutthroat trout.
Louis shows off this chunky rainbow trout from Crowley Lake while fishing with Doug R.
Another pair of rainbow and brown trout from Allen and Gabe.
Gabe with a chunky rainbow trout.
Tom and Stan were at it again showing off this large rainbow and brown trout from Crowley Lake while fishing with Doug R.
Stan holding this heck of a rainbow trout.
Cody got this fat brown trout while fishing with Doug R. on Crowley Lake.
AJ holding a nice brown trout from Crowley Lake while fishing Doug R.
Neal fished with Doug Dolan and got this huge rainbow trout.
John got into some good rainbow trout like this one while fishing with Two Bug Doug.
John with another nice rainbow trout.
Debbie got this large rainbow trout while fishing with Two Bug Doug on Crowley Lake.
Dan fished with Doug Dolan and scored this hefty rainbow trout.
John fished with Doug R. and got this nice rainbow trout.
Steve got this beast of a rainbow trout while fishing with Doug R.
Sam and Jim holding a pair of rainbow trout while fishing with Doug R.
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