So for now the forecast for upper elevation waters is for snow on Saturday April 26, 2025. If it does snow I will be right once again with my prediction of snow for opening weekend of the Eastern Sierra fishing season. Opener use to be exciting as all the waters in the Eastern Sierra except for the lower Owens River were closed to fishing on November 1st and did not open until the last Saturday in April. Now with so many of the Eastern Sierra waters open to year round fishing opportunities it’s hard to get excited about fishing waters I’ve been fly fishing all winter. Two waters I’m excited to fish that will be opening this Saturday are Crowley Lake and the East Walker River. What I’m most excited to fly fish are waters that are still covered in snow and will become fishable as the snow melts and the lakes ice out. As spring turns to summer, fly fishing will be in full swing and there will be mayfly, stonefly and caddis fly hatches to imitate with dries and nymphs.
Will the miracle mile section of the East Walker River continue to produce trophy rainbow and brown trout after last year’s fish die off.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Middle of the day nymphing continues to produce wild brown and rainbow trout with a Euro rig and under an indicator. There is lots to learn about nymphing when fly fishing the lower Owens River especially when you go with someone who understands how to nymph fish properly. Flows are expected to go up by the end of April or early May. Now is your chance to learn the intricacies of fly fishing the lower Owens River. Nymph patterns that imitate mayflies and midges are the flies that are producing the wild trout. Fish with a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 20 zebra midge and size 20 tiger midges. On the surface fish with a size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 Adams parachute and size 18 sparkle dun. To stay up with the changing flows check out Eastern Sierra water flows on my webpage at https://www.sierrabrightdot.com/water-flows-owens-river-east-walker-river.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Javier Guzman from Bellflower showing the techniques he learned from a Sierra Bright Dot Guide trip work as he fights a nymph feeding trout.
This area gets lots of fly fishing pressure and the trout see a lot of fly patterns. The key to success can be fishing a fly pattern that is out of vogue or not very popular on the Creek. Right now the trout are keying in on midges and blue wing olive mayflies. Disco midges and soft hackle brassies are midge patterns that use to produce lots of trout on Hot Creek that are rarely fished these days on the creek. On the surface fish with Griffiths gnats in size 22, blue wing olive parachutes in size 20 and Adams parachutes in size 20. The interpretive site will continue to get lots of fishing pressure this fishing season.
Hot Creek Canyon is devoid of anglers during the winter, but with Saturday’s fishing opener the crowds of Hot Creek will return.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Easter break brought crowds to the canyon section of Hot Creek. Even with the increased fly fishing pressure this area is seeing good fly fishing opportunities especially with nymphs. Midges and mayflies are hatching and the trout are feeding on the nymphs and dries. Concentrate on imitating the blue wing olive mayflies in the canyon. On the surface fish with size 20 sparkle duns, size 20 Adams parachutes and size 20 blue wing olive parachutes. Under the surface fish with a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph and a size 22 midge in tiger or zebra coloration. Throwing streamers like an olive wooly bugger will produce some big fish if fished in and around the obstructions formed around the weed beds, rocks and deep holes in the creek.
Until the trophy cutthroat trout are in the river in concentrated numbers fly fishers are catching resident rainbows and browns from six to 12 inches.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
The upper Owens River is in between the winter trophy rainbow trout run and the spring run of cutthroat trout. The cutthroat season peaks between the 10th and 20th of May. Start looking for the start of the cutthroat run around the 6th of May. For now fly fishers are targeting the resident rainbow and brown trout that are feeding on mayflies, caddis and midges mid-day. On the surface fish with size 18 elk hair caddis, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes. On a Euro rig or under an indicator fish with a size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 SOS nymph and size 20 midges in zebra or tiger coloration.
Little guys need two hands to handle a big fly rod on Bishop Creek Canal.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Water levels have come up a little bit and the fishing is easier as the trout are not as spooky. Juvenile brown trout are feeding on midges on the surface of Bishop Creek canal. Nymphing under an indicator or a Euro rig is the most productive method of fly fishing the canal right now. On the surface fish with a size 20 Griffiths gnat, size 18 blue wing olive parachute and size 20 elk hair caddis. For nymphs fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons and size 20 midges in tiger, blood or zebra colorations.