We are finally having a week without a storm. This weekend the Owens Valley is going to warm up with temperatures reaching into the high 60’s. Great time to get out on the water and fly fish. We are already seeing high flows on the Owens River. It will not be long when all the freestone streams rise due to runoff. For now freestone creeks in the foothills and Owens Valley are offering good fly fishing in clear waters. Fishmas will be on Saturday April 29th. Remember that the Crowley Lake Tributaries, except for the upper Owens River, do not open until the Saturday before Memorial Day.
I cleaned up trash from the banks of Bishop Creek Canal.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Chalk Bluff Road continues to be closed from Pleasant Valley Campground to Five Bridges Road. Flows in the river are over 700 CFS. Way too high for me to be out on the river fly fishing. I might fish the river this summer in the evenings with a caddis adult if the trout will come to the surface.
At 700 CFS the lower Owens River is running bank to bank to make way for the runoff in Crowley Lake.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Fly fishers are beginning to access the creek now that there have been several days without snow. There is a good trail to the creek from Hot Creek Hatchery Road. The blue wing olive hatch mid-day is bringing trout to the surface. Olive quilldigons and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs are producing trout before the hatch. Size 20 blue wing olive parachutes and olive sparkle duns are producing trout on the surface.
Not very much parking available where the road is not plowed in front of Hot Creek Ranch turn off.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
Snowmobile tracks into the canyon section is making it easy to walk out from the end of the plowed section of Hot Creek Hatchery Road. A mid-day blue wing olive hatch has the trout feeding. Nymphs and dries are catching trout. It requires a lot of physical effort to make the hike into the canyon.
Benton Crossing Road continues to be closed to traffic.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The road to Benton Crossing Bridge is expected to be opening soon as crews have made headway in clearing the snow from the road. No fly fishing report yet until access into the upper Owens opens up.
The canal is running bank to bank and slightly off color, but is still producing trout that are taking blue wing olive nymph patterns.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Ford Dealer:
The creek is running bank to bank with slightly off color water. The trout are feeding on blue wing olive nymphs. There are a few blue wing olives hatching, but the trout are not coming to the surface to feed. Nymphing with olive quilldigons and bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs is producing rainbow and brown trout. The Euro rod continues to be producing trout for me in the slower stretches. The fast water sections I just don’t think I’m getting the flies down on the substrate where the trout are feeding. Thursday afternoon I fire broke out east of the canal and west of the airport. It was contained rather quickly.
Access is closed to the Control Gorge Power Plant at the top of Gorge Road.
Owens River Gorge
Upper and Middle Gorge:
The gorge will be opening up on April 7th. Gorge Control Power Plant, north of Pleasant Valley Reservoir continues to be closed. Pleasant Valley Reservoir is closed until Department of Water and Power can repair the access road.