The smoke is still in and out day to day, but the fish wouldn’t know any different. We are fully into fall fishing now with mixed sizes of fish and really great midge fishing on our local lakes. Nighttime temperatures have now dipped into the cooler sides with some mornings in the 30’s, which quickly warm up by mid-morning to the 70’s. Fall is a special time in the eastern sierra as the aspen trees turn from green to yellow and the color contrast is spectacular. Most of the trees have turned now and it is a nice mix of green and yellow against the mountains and in the canyons.
Since there is no aquatic insect activity until the frost melts off in the mornings, we have been starting later on Crowley Lake and have been finding the fish more active in the late morning hours and into the warmer parts of the day. It can be a game of patience and timing this time of year, as sometimes the fishing slows towards the afternoon, but ends up picking up again an hour later as new fish begin to move into shallow water from the deeper areas.
Fish can be found at various depths now, and 6 – 16 feet of water have been very productive. The river channels are starting to see more fish staging up at the mouths as they prepare to move into the rivers and creeks for the fall spawn. Larger streamer patterns can get you into fish right now, but midges have been a strong producer these last few weeks. Varying your depth is important this time of year to stay on the fish.
The Upper Owens River and Hot Creek have been fishing well for these fall fish with egg patterns, small midges, October caddis, and pheasant tails. The Lower Owens River drifting has been fun as the water has now come down to great levels for fishing by boat and some areas along the Wild Trout section have been very wadable now.
We still have plenty of days left on Crowley Lake to fish by boat and some big fish are on the feed this fall. Hope you can join us for some good fall action in the coming weeks as we guide on these great autumn rivers, creeks, and lakes.
Dmytro fished with Jerry for this awesome rainbow trout.
Jason fished with Phil for this super cutthroat trout.
Cliff fished with Jerry for this magnificent brown trout.
Madden fished with Doug Dolan for this stunning cutthroat trout.
Ruben fished with Doug Dolan for this sweet rainbow trout.
Don fished with Jerry for this colorful rainbow trout.
Grant fished with Jerry for this stellar brown trout.
Ed fished with Seth for this great brown trout.
Lonnie fishes on as Mike is hooked up on the Lower Owens River.
Andy fished with Doug Dolan for this beautiful cutthroat trout.
Rick fished with Doug Dolan for this massive rainbow trout.
Max displays a nice rainbow trout while fishing with Doug Rodricks.
Ken scores a tank of a rainbow while fishing with Doug Rodricks.
Tim with a large cutthroat trout while fishing with Doug Rodricks.
Ken with a nice cutthroat trout.
Matt shows off a great cutthroat trout while fishing with Doug Dolan.
Ed fished with Jerry for this super brown trout.
Dave and Steve with a double on rainbow and cutthroat trout. Doug Rodricks was their guide.
Doug fished with Doug Dolan for this great cutthroat trout.
Lillian dispays a nice rainbow trout while fishing with Doug Dolan.
Mike displays a nice Lower Owens River brown trout while fishing with Doug Rodricks.
Gorman fished with Doug Dolan for this killer rainbow trout.
Lillian with another nice rainbow trout.