Fish Report - December 19th
Fish Report 12.19.24
Temperature report
Mammoth Airport: highs in the mid 40’s and lows in the teens.
Lower Owens: Highs in the mid 50’s and lows in the 20’s.
Weather report
Clear with possible rain/snow showers Thursday and Saturday.
As per usual for this time of year, DWP is running water through the tunnel out of Grant Lake into the Upper Owens. The flows have come up from 69 CFS to 114. On the Lower Owens the flows have dropped down to the 120’s and have been stable for several weeks.
Flows & Water Conditions: Good
CFS: 113
Click Here For Upper Owens Flow Rates
Fishing Report & Conditions: Good
With little in the way of hatches the bigger fish are eating larger attractor patterns. And yes the crowds are bad, especially down towards the bridge, probably because of poor driving conditions. Lake run fish have been very picky. Water is off color, but not as bad as its been.
| Flies | Type |
|---|---|
| TRS Double Griffiths #18-20 | CDC Transition Midge #20-22 Zelon Midge #20-24 | Stillborn Midge #20-22 | Dries |
| Bead Head Flashback Pheasant Tail #14-22 | HDA Fav Variant #12-16 | Chamois Caddis #16-20 | M/Pardi F/B Olive or Brown #18-20 | Weiss BP Light #18-20 | Slush Egg Apricot #14 | EZ Fl. S/Burst #20 | Squirmy Wormy #12-14 | Zebra Midges #16-24 | Nymphs |
|
Keslars H/B/G Olive | Punk Perch #16 | Crostons MRS Natural #12 | |
Streamers |
Flows & Water Conditions: Low and clear, but perfect
CFS: 125
Click Here For Lower Owens Flow Rates
Fishing Report & Conditions: Fair-Good
The flows have dropped to the 120’s and have stabilized for several weeks. The midge hatches are still strong but with the cold snap the other hatches have faded, although this weekend there were caddis hatching anywhere in size from #16’s to the mid 20’s. With the warmer weather we may see a resurgence of the BWO’s but it looks like that never materialized. The normal winter pattern is for them to disappear sometime in December and then reappear in February. Some nice 8-13” Browns but the main characters are the Rainbows. Most of them are small, around 6” but they are wild, fat, and everywhere - a good sign for the future but we are also seeing some bigger Rainbows in the 12 -16 inch range and in the last week up to 20”. With the colder temperatures over the last week the fishing had slowed down but the last couple of days it has picked right back up with the warming temperatures.
Flows & Water Conditions: Closed For the Season
CFS: 20
Click Here For East Walker Flow Rates
Fishing Report & Conditions:
| Flies | Type |
|---|---|
| Dries | |
| Nymphs | |
| Streamers |
Flows & Water Conditions: Closed For the Season
CFS:
| Flies | Type |
|---|---|
| Dries | |
| Nymphs | |
| Streamers |
Flows & Water Conditions: Closed for the season
CFS: Varies
| Flies | Type |
|---|---|
| Dries | |
| Nymphs | |
| Streamers |
Flows & Water Conditions: Fair; The weed beds in the canyon have dropped dramatically with the water cooling down.
CFS: 7
Access to the canyon is problematic. In the morning the snow is firm enough to drive on but once it warms up low clearance vehicles will not make it out and even 4-wheel drive will be messy.
Trico hatches are over and Caddis hatches will be ending soon.
The Interpretive Site has been doing well but be careful both here and in the canyon to avoid Redds and any fish around them, another reason not to wade. Hatches have been primarily midges so midge pupa and emerger patterns as well as scud, egg and worm patterns.
| Flies | Type |
|---|---|
| Brooks CDC Baetis #18-20 | Parachute Extended BWO #16-20 | Mimic May Johnson BWO #16-20 | No See Um Baetis Hi-Vis #16 | | Dries |
| HDA Fav #14-16 | Expecting Scud #16-18 | M/Pardi F/B Olive or Brown #18-20 | Weiss BP Light #18-20 | Zebra Midge #22-24 | T-Midge #22-24 | Real Midge #22-24 | | Nymphs |
| Kesslars H/B/S Olive & Natural #12 | | Streamers |