Winter storms continue to move through the Eastern Sierra. The Blake Jones fishing tournament at Pleasant Valley Reservoir this Saturday March 11th has been postponed tell May due to impending storms this weekend and increased water flows in the lower Owens River. Spring runoff is going to be massive this year and fly fishers coming to the Eastern Sierra need to know that snow runoff can take place from June to July depending on the temperatures in the upper elevations.
I have hired fly fishing guide Richard Lancaster to teach and guide fly fishers in the Eastern Sierra. Richard moved to the Eastern Sierra from the San Luis Obispo area in 2018 to work for Cal Fire and have time to explore the fly fishing in the Eastern Sierra. He loves to Euro nymph and likes to stalk carp in the Owens River and Tinemaha Reservoir.
Richard Lancaster fly fishing guide for Sierra Bright Dot Fly Fishing Guides.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
At flows of 330 CFS trout have been taking nymphs fished on the substrate in the slower waters on the edges and in the eddies. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is expected to complete their repair work on Pleasanton Valley Reservoir Dam site by early next week. Upon completion of the repair work the river will be going up to 500 CFS or higher. At these flows fly fishers will have to fish from the banks. Spots with bank access are limited to a few areas in the wild trout section. At these flows I’m pretty much done with fishing the lower Owens River until summer hatches of caddis will bring trout to the surface.
Newly hired Sierra Bright Dot Guide Richard Lancaster about to net a trout on the lower Owens River.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Fly fishers still have to walk in from Airport Drive. It’s a lot of effort to the creek. For those fly fishers willing to put in the effort to snowshoe into the Interpretive site the wild trout have been feeding on nymphs. I use midges and pheasant tail nymphs on the creek in winter time.
There is still no vehicle access beyond the intersection of Airport Road and Hot Creek Hatchery Road .
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
I’m going to say that this area is out for fly fishing for at least another week. It’s too long of a snowshoe hike in to the creek for the average fly fisher. For the energetic outdoors man willing to snowshoe into Hot Creek Canyon I would try fishing nymphs under a dry fly. I would fish with midges and blue wing olive nymphs like an olive quilldigon or pheasant tail nymph.
Benton Crossing Road continues to be closed to vehicle traffic at the Green Church.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
With a pending storm and the road still closed from last week’s storms there is no access to the upper Owens River for fly fishers. The spawning trout definitely need a break from fly fishers during their spawning time.
Last week’s snow will be replaced by this week’s rain storms on Bishop Cree Canal.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
The canal has stabilized from the last storm, but is expected to get one to two inches from this next storm. The storms and snow melt seems to be making the canal rise and flow with dirty water. It’s taking several days for the canal water to stabilize after the storms. I’m Euro nymphing the canal with olive quilldigons, stoner nymphs and hot spot pheasant tail nymphs.
No fly fishing in the gorge until this next storm passes through the Eastern Sierra.
Owens River Gorge
Upper and Middle Gorge:
Access is limited to due to the amounts of snow in the gorge. With the next storm expected to hit the Eastern Sierra on Thursday night and last through Saturday I think it will be late next week at the earliest to explore fly fishing in the Owens River Gorge.