All US Forest Service lands in California are closed including the Inyo National Forest through 11:59 P.M. on September 17. I expect to see this closure extended unless the fires in California are controlled. In the Eastern Sierra from Lone Pine to the Nevada border north of Bridgeport there are three main land owners. US Forest Service, Bureau of land Management, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. At this time Bureau of land Management and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power lands continue to be open for outdoor recreation. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power campgrounds in Inyo and mono county are closed through September 17. An Inyo National Forest Service map will show forest service boundaries. There continues to be fishing opportunities in a number of waters in the Eastern Sierra. While the skies are not devoid of smoke, they’re looking really good right now on waters throughout the Eastern Sierra.
US Forest Service lands, like Weir Pond on the south fork of Bishop Creek will be closed for fishing through September 17.
Lower Owens River Wild Trout Section:
Mid-day temperatures are hovering in the upper 90’s to low 100’s depending on the day. Mornings have cooled of and are cool enough for a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt. Temperatures warm up quickly and I like to be off the water by noon. Hatches and fish activity has been consistent through noon. Euro nymphing in the mornings is good with gold ribbed hare’s ears, olive quilldigons, olive micro mayflies, stoner nymphs, and Butano nymphs. These fish are not getting a lot of fishing pressure and when hooked put up a great fight in the 225 CFS current. A crowded day is when I see two to three other anglers in the entire wild trout section of the lower Owens River. Flows in this section will go up between September 7 and 13 due to flushing flows in the Owens River Gorge.
Jim Weil from Fremont is hooked up on a rainbow in the lower Owens River during the mid-morning hatch of mayflies and caddis flies.
Lower Owens River Gorge Section:
September 7 to 13 Gorge closure:
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in conjunction with California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be doing flushing flows in the Owens River Gorge from September 7 to September 13. The Owens River Gorge from Long Valley Dam, Crowley Lake Dam, to Control Gorge Power Plant, just above Pleasant Valley Reservoir will be closed during the flushing flows. These flows will fluff the river. This essentially lifts the river bed and sets it back down. This moves sediment around and creates habitat for fish, insects, and riparian zone.
The Owens River Gorge from Crowley Lake Dam to Control Gorge Power Plant will be closed from September 7 to 13 for flushing flows.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Closed to fishing per Inyo National Forest closure.
Hot Creek in the Canyon and the interpretive site are on Inyo National Forest land and are closed to fishing through September 17.
Hot Creek Canyon Section:
Closed to fishing per Inyo National Forest closure.
Upper Owens River:
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The early morning trico mayfly hatch continues to offer the best fly fishing opportunity of the day. This hatch is over by 10:30 A.M. It starts with the mayfly duns hatching. Then they become spinners. After egg laying the spinners die on the water making an easy meal for the wild trout in the upper Owens River. There is a sporadic caddis hatch that starts as the trico’s are fading away for the day. Mid-day hopper fishing well produce a few fish, but it is nothing like a normal hopper hatch on the river. I’ve been covering lots of river for only a few hits. I would leave the river alone mid-day and come back around 6:00 P.M. and fish tell dark with a caddis pattern or nymph. The upper Owens is in the middle of the dog days of summer and is fishing really slow middle of the day. Fly fishers should continue to monitor water temperatures particularly below the Hot Creek confluence.
Mid-day fly fishing on the upper Owens River has been slow as hopper action is almost nonexistent.
Bishop Creek Canal Behind the Ford Dealer:
The canal has been dredged and the holding spots for trout have been reduced. The weed beds that were removed during the dredging operation provided a lot of habitat for the trout. Flows have been decreased in Bishop Creek Canal. I’m concentrating my efforts on the deeper holes and riffle type areas below Los Angeles Department of Water and Power weirs. Fishing middle of the day is hot and tough. For the fly fisher diligently working the water there are wild and stocked trout willing to take a fly. I’ve been fishing this section with Euro nymphing techniques. Butano nymphs and stoner nymphs have been my most productive fly patterns. The morning trico hatch is still worth getting on the water early to fly fish. The fish have been keying in on the spinners during the spinner fall. The trico hatch is over by 10:00 A.M.
San Joaquin River:
Closed to fishing per Inyo National Forest closure.
The San Joaquin River from Thousand Islands Lake downstream to the end of Inyo National Forest Service land is closed to fly fishing through September 17.