Summer is over and fall is quickly disappearing. Regular fishing season ends on Wednesday November 15, 2023. The start of the third year of winter fishing season is on Thursday November 16, 2023.. Non resort lakes are open to year round fishing with no gear restrictions. Most moving waters in the Eastern Sierra are open to catch and release barbless lures or flies fishing. For specific water closures check out regulation 7.50 in the 2023 California Department of Fishing and Wildlife fishing regulations. Spawning brook and brown trout are still being targeted by fly fishers. Remember to leave actively spawning fish alone by not trying to catch them. Mayflies, midges and caddis hatches are still providing nymphing and dry fly fishing opportunities. Dry fly fishing should be over by the end of November.
Trout Unlimited was just one of several organizations that had booths at the lower Owens Annual Cleanup on Saturday November 4, 2023.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows at the time of writing this was at 475 and climbing. Department of Water and Power put out a warning that flows could increase to 700 CFS. At these levels I stay away from the river as it's easy to get into trouble if you find yourself in the river. Fly fishing with nymphs continued to be good right up until the flows increased on Sunday November 5th. I will be staying off of the lower Owens River until the flows recede. Flow levels for this winter will be determined by this winter’s snow pack. High flows require lots of weight to get the flies down on the substrate. Problem is there is lots of willows on the substrate from the big beaver population.
Dan Johnson from Reno with a seven foot wild wood salmon he caught on a size 16 nymph fished under an indicator in the wild trout section of the lower Owens River.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Dry fly hatches have fish coming to the surface, but it will not last much longer as winter is quickly approaching. The mountains got there first dusting of snow this week. Gray caddis and blue wing olive mayflies are hatching and the trout are feeding on the hatching insects on the surface and on the nymphs on the substrate. For dry flies fish with size 20 gray parachute caddis, X-caddis, elk hair caddis, blue wing olive parachutes, olive sparkle duns and Adams parachutes. For the nymphs fish with size 20 gray Brid’s nests, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s and olive quilldigons.
With summer fly fishing pressure gone fly fishers can find the creek all to themselves.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
This area is offering good nymphing and some dry fly fishing opportunities. Euro nymphing and under an indicator is producing wild brown trout and rainbow trout to 16 inches. Working the riffles and the pocket water is producing trout. Bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, olive quilldigons and copper John’s are the nymphs that are producing. For dry flies fish with size 20 gray parachute caddis, X-caddis, elk hair caddis, blue wing olive parachutes, and olive sparkle duns. It’s time to get on the creek before the snows of winter hamper access to the creek.
Deep runs are a great place to fish nymphs in the upper Owens River looking for trophy trout.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Trophy trout have moved into the upper Owens River above Benton Crossing Bridge. Its been a combination of rainbows and brown trout to 24 inches being caught on streamers and big nymphs. Deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks is where you can find the trophy trout resting and feeding. Spawning trout represent the future of the trout fisheries in the upper Owens River. By not fly fishing to actively spawning trout you are protecting the future trout populations in the upper Owens River. For nymphs fish with stoner nymphs, green/gold Prince nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears and copper John’s in copper, red or green and gold. For streamers you can try classics like wooly buggers, marabou muddlers and zonkers. Black or black and white are good streamer colors for the upper Owens River. Articulated streamers will produce some big fish when fished downstream and stripped up stream. For articulated streamers fish with game changers, dungeons and baby gonga.
While not the trophy brown trout fly fishers are looking for in the upper Owens River this is still a good sized brown.
Upper Owens River
Below Benton Crossing Bridge:
This section of the upper Owens River closes to fishing on Wednesday November 15, 2023. This area has been good all fall and continues to produce trophy trout for fly fishers fishing nymphs and streamers in the deep holes. The trout are migrating through this section and key to success is finding the pods of trout that are resting and feeding in the deep holes and deep runs. Covering lots of water and concentrating casts into the pools and runs is what’s going to produce trout for fly fishers. Nymphing with a Euro rig has been consistently producing trout when fishing with gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymphs and green/gold wire prince nymphs.
Fly fishers wanting to float tube in Hilton Bay have to walk in from the closed gate at the Crowley Lake Marina.
Crowley Lake:
The lake closes to fishing on Wednesday November 15, 2023. Fly fishers are using float tubes, kayaks and pontoon boats to access the lake. Best method of fishing the lake right now is to pull streamers on a full sink line. Try fishing with olive matukas, olive wooly buggers, balanced perch, olive zonkers and olive marabou muddlers. Fishing in and around the weed beds is producing some trophy trout.
This is a typical looking day on Bishop Creek Canal during the winter season as few fly fishers try fly fishing the canal in the winter time.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
With flows in the lower Owens River unwadeable it’s time to put the effort into fly fishing the canal. Nymphing under an indicator or with a Euro rod is producing 8 to 16 inch wild brown trout. The canal does not get stocked in the winter time so rainbows will become the most rare trout to catch this winter. Size 12 stoner nymphs, green/gold Prince nymphs, and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, Frenchie’s and olive quilldigons are fooling the trout. Most fly fishers don’t throw streamers in the canal. Fishing streamers in the fall can produce trophy brown trout. I like to cast my streamer quartered up stream. I then throw in an upstream mend to allow the streamer to sink towards the bottom on a dead drift. When the drag of the line pulls the streamer away from the bank be prepared for a trophy trout to attack your streamer. For canal streamer patterns use black and gold, black and silver or brown and yellow colored matukas, zonkers and slump busters.