Opening weekend is this Saturday April 29, 2023. This is an unprecedented opener with most still waters frozen and lots of snow from the 7,000 foot level and up. I post holed through the snow and it reminded me how much I dislike post holing in the snow. Runoff is not expected to peak until mid-June through July. For now the spring creeks and freestone creeks are producing trout when nymphing. Access is limited on a lot of waters. Putting in a closed road section for this report so fly fishers will know what waters are accessible. Midges and blue wing olive mayflies are providing action for fly fishers.
Road closures and frozen lakes like Crowley Lake is going to make for a very limited opener for fly fishers.
Road Closures:
Access is limited as a number of fly fishing spots are closed due to snow or road closures. Hot Creek Hatchery Road is closed at the end of the plowed area. There is room for two vehicles to park off the road. Anglers are going to have to park on the road. Be aware that you cannot park in front of Hot Creek Ranch’s drive way. Benton Crossing Road is closed at Browns Campground entrance. There is room for six vehicles to park off the road at the entrance to the dirt road going upstream on the upper Owens River. Gorge Road into Control Gorge Power Plant will be opening up on Saturday. Pleasant Valley Dam Road is closed with a gate at Pleasant Valley Campground. Chalk Bluff Road is closed at Five Bridges Road. Most roads above 7,000 feet that fly fishers use to access lakes are creeks are closed due to winters snow pack.
Hot Creek Hatchery Road is closed at the private driveway into Hot Creek Ranch. Do not parking in front of their driveway.
Benton Crossing Road is closed at Brown's Owens River Campground. Do not park in front of their driveway!
Gorge Road into Control Gorge Power Plant will open on Saturday morning to allow access to Pleasant Valley Reservoir.
Pleasant Valley Dam Road is closed at Pleasant Valley Campground.
Chalk Bluff Road is gated and closed at the begging of the up and over or the chalk bluff on the east end of the road.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Access to the river is closed during this springs snow runoff. The river is flowing at 750 CFS and is expected to peak at over 1,000 CFS. For now the lower Owens River is unsafe to fly fish. Please stay off the river during runoff for your safety.
High flows makes the lower Owens River in the wild trout section unsafe to fly fish and access is closed at Pleasant Valley Campground. and at the Five Bridges Road end .
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Fly fishers will have to park on the side of Hot Creek Hatchery Road and walk into the creek. Soft snow means you will be post holing through six inches to three feet of snow. This is one spot that is offering decent to good fly fishing with nymphs and dries. Blue wing olive patterns and midges are what the trout are feeding on.
Fly fishers have to walk into the canyon section through soft snow. Please do not park in front of Hot Creek Ranch’s driveway.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
For fly fishers in good shape willing to put in the effort of hiking through the soft snow they will find wild trout willing to take their flies. Nymphing with size 20 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and size 22 midge patterns in zebra or tiger coloration are fooling wild trout.
High water and soft snow makes fishing the upper Owens River tough right now.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Benton Crossing Road is open to Brown’s Owens River Campground. Post holing through the soft snow is something I despise as I find it wears me right out. The river is high and off color. There is lots of water flowing into the river from the meadows. There is a lot of algae floating in the river that is catching on the flies. This is definitely a spot to be wearing your waders. Only fished a short section directly above Benton Crossing Bridge with no success.
Bishop Creek Cana is off color, but is producing trout for fly fishers nymphing.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Nymphing is producing trout for fly fishers plying the waters of Bishop Creek Canal. It got stocked with hatchery rainbows on Wednesday. The water is up and off color, but this is not stopping the trout from feeding. With this being one of the few fly fishable spots in the Eastern Sierra there is lots of fly fishing pressure. Size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, stoner nymphs and size 20 midges in tiger or zebra coloration are producing trout. I’m fishing an indicator about six feet above the bottom fly with a BB shot for the weight.
Fishing the Euro rig is producing wild brown trout at the weir on Pine Creek.
Pine Creek Weir:
Pine Creek above Rovana is producing fish with the Euro rig. The olive quilldigon, stoner nymph and hot spot pheasant tail nymph is producing trout. My first cast the other day was a wild brown trout. Five casts latter I had another one. Fishing under an indicator make sure you are 1.5 to 2 times the average depth of water. I’ve been running the indicator six to eight feet above the bottom fly.
Bishop Creek
In the Foothills of the Owens Valley:
Fishing in and around the College area has been producing wild brown trout on nymphs and streamers. This is a good place to pull a size 10 or 14 wooly bugger. Nymphing with the Euro rod and an indicator is producing wild brown trout to 14 inches. The fish are taking midges and blue wing olive nymphs in sizes 18 to 22.
Learning how to properly handle trout is a great lesson for catch and release fly fishing on Bishop Creek.