As I’ve been expecting the warm weather has started the runoff and most moving waters are unfishable. The waters are full of debris and running chocolate milk color or they are high and some shade of brown. I haven’t seen a clear running water in my travels fly fishing the waters of the Eastern Sierra. The still waters that are ice free are offering fly fishers an opportunity to fly fish. I expect the moving waters to be out of commission for 30 to 60 days. Owens River Gorge will be closed for three weeks for springtime riparian flows from June 6 to June 25, 2023. Long Valley Dam to Control Power Plant will be closed. DWP has set up a 2023 runoff site at https://ladwpeasternsierra.com/runoff2023 to monitor this year’s snow runoff.
In preparation for the record snow runoff the lower Owens River at Five Bridges was rechanneled to try and prevent the bridge from being washed out.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
The Owens River is running between 750 to 1,000 CFS depending on where you are on the lower Owens River. It is expected to peak somewhere around 1,400 CFS sometime in June or Early July. Due to erosion of banks and high flows the lower Owens River is unsafe to fish for the next month or two. Chalk Bluff Road is expected to wash out in one or two spots during this year’s runoff. This will effect winter fishing access to the lower Owens River. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews are working to minimalize the impact of this year’s snow runoff.
At 750 CFS the lower Owens River is flooding its banks and is expected to double in volume to 1,500 CFS at the peak of the runoff.
Hot Creek:
Interpretive Site:
Fly fishers can drive right up to the interpretive site parking lot. The water is high and off color from the water coming down Mammoth Creek. Nymphing has been tough. Fly fishers need enough weight to get the nymphs down on the substrate where the trout are feeding. The right combination of euro nymph flies with 4.0 mm and 3.5 mm beads or a couple of BB split shots under an indicator is what’s needed. Stoner nymphs, olive quilldigons, scuds, bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears are catching a few trout. Pulling streamers is getting lots of action with a few hits and less hookups. For streamers try using olive wooly buggers in size 6, olive marabou muddlers in size 6 or one of the articulated streamers.
Mammoth Creek is a tributary to Hot Creek and is responsible for the high dirty water.
Hot Creek:
Canyon Section:
The water and wind is more concentrated in the canyon. This section fly fishes best in the morning to early afternoon. Nymphing is producing a few fish if the nymphs have enough weight to get them down on the substrate where the trout are feeding. Working streamers around instream structures like rocks is getting brown trout to hit the flies more out territorial strikes than trying to feed on the streamers. Olive has always been the best streamer color for me.
The upper Owens River is flowing high and dirty from this year’s record runoff.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The river is up and off color. When the sun is full on the water you can make out some structure in the water like shallows and weed beds. Walking the banks showed no fish in the dirty colored water. I saw no spawning activity by any cutthroats. Two 4.0 mm bead flies with a 3.0 mm bead fly was the correct weight combination to get the flies bouncing on the substrate. I was surprised that there was no fishing pressure on the river until early afternoon the other day when I fished the upper Owens River. There are a few trophy brown trout in the river that are feeding on nymphs and offering fly fishers an opportunity to catch a trophy trout. The main dirt road upstream of Benton Crossing Bridge is drivable. The side spur roads have water and mud that fly fishers could get their vehicles stuck in. Be careful where you drive up there and I would not drive in a vehicle other than a four wheel drive.
Fly fishers are in the north arm of Crowley Lake fly fishing with midges in 20 feet of water.
Crowley Lake:
With the runoff starting and making the moving waters unfishable it’s time to look towards the still waters to fly fish until the runoff recedes. Crowley Lake is just starting to produce trout. It’s hard to believe that the lake was frozen for opener and opened to fishing on May 10, just 16 days ago. Crowley Lake is the premier fly fishing still water in the Eastern Sierra. It has taken a few days for the midge fishing to get going, but the trout are feeding on the midges in the north arm of the lake in 20 feet of water. Fishing from Sandy Point to Green Banks is producing trout. Fly fishers are fishing with balanced perch, balanced black and blue leeches, zebra midges, tiger midges and albino Barron’s. Best fishing has been in the mornings to early afternoon.
Teaching fly casting in the field next to Bishop Creek Canal before fly fishing the canal.
Bishop Creek Canal:
Behind the Old Ford Dealer:
Runoff out of the Owens River and Bishop Creek has the canal high and mud colored. There is a lot of debris floating down Bishop Creek and some of it is making its way into the canal. Fishing is tough and the slower straight sections are the best area to fish right now. Success here is a few fish for fly fishers covering lots of water with the right amount of weight to keep the flies down on the substrate. Pheasant tail nymphs, gold ribbed hare’s ears, stoner nymphs, green/gold Prince nymphs and copper John’s are fooling wild brown trout and stocked rainbow trout.
Fishing the Euro rig is producing wild brown trout on Pine Creek if you can get your flies down on the substrate.
Pine Creek Weir
Pine Creek above Rovana:
The creek is blown out from runoff like all the other streams and creeks. Fishing is tough and fly fishers need to be persistent and make sure their flies are working on the substrate. I’m considering this spot done tell runoff is over for the year.