If you haven’t heard, there was a significant fish kill on the East Walker recently. Fish & Wildlife determined the cause was an overabundance of CO2. For the time being, fishing is not advised. If you do attempt it, go well downstream and give us an update.

Hopefully, this will be the last of the “broken record” fish reports. Next week temperatures will drop from the upper 70s to the low 60s with on-and-off showers. Nighttime temperatures will be in the low to mid 20s. This should slow or end the Trico hatches and possibly the early morning caddis activity. The late morning Baetis should pick up though. If you're in Mammoth and need a quick fix, Mammoth Creek in town and below Highway 395 has been a lot of fun. The smaller streams like Bishop Creek, Rock Creek, and Lee Vining Creek are getting low but still fishing well.

The Owens River Gorge will be closed 9/9 - 9/17 due to high flows.

 

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Crowley Lake

Flows & Water Conditions	The lake level is dropping faster at approximately 1+ foot a week. Surface temperatures are dropping nicely and the algae is disappearing.

Click Here For Crowley Flow Rates

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Fishing Report & Conditions: Fair- Good

Fishing pressure has been very light since Labor Day weekend. With the conditions improving, the channels are becoming less important and the fish are spreading out. Fish seem to be moving out into slightly deeper water at 8’-16’. McGee Bay has been abandoned but the fish are still there. As a rule of thumb, streamers along the weed lines are a good way to go. The north end has been the place to be - Almost all of the boats are in the Owens Channel, but you’ll find fish everywhere.

If you’re just looking for action, Hilton Bay has lots of smaller fish, and the recently stocked fish have already repopulated the Crooked Creek arm but they are very small. The fish have gone back to being picky on what food they want to eat, so if the imitations you're using aren’t working, don’t be afraid to experiment; try midge, fry, Damsel, or Callibaetis until you find the right one.

Another point to consider; the deeper the water, the further you get from the weed beds and the more the fish will be keying in on midges. Conversely, the weed beds are the keys to Callibaetis, Damsels, and the hiding place for the Perch fry. As for exploring, it’s not just the stream mouths that bring in cooler water - Springs will attract fish as well.

In the last few days midges have become much more popular so don’t fixate on the perch patterns. If you’re willing to put up with the wind, the perch bite seems to improve when the water gets rough. That said, the fish will still be changing food preferences throughout the day. If you’re doing great on midges but it shuts down around 9:30, try switching to Callibaetis nymphs. Likewise, around noon be ready to switch to Damselfly or perch fry imitations. The Balanced Perch patterns seem to be working the best if you’re fishing under an indicator.

• Dries: AAdult Damsel #12 | Deer Hair Damsel Blue #14 | Organza Callibaetis Spinner #16-18 | Callibaetis Para Nymph #16-20 |
  
• Nymphs: Copper Tiger #S-L | Albino Baron #S-L | Double Bead Zebra #S-L | Poxyback Callibaetis #14-16 | Rickerts Emerging Callibaetis | Ultra Damsel Olive #14-16 | Hula Damsel Tan or Olive #16 | Monroe Leech |
  
• Streamers: Punk Perch Light #16 | Balanced Punk Perch Light or Dark #14 | Perfection Perch #8 | Hornberg #8-10 | Balanced Birds Nest Olive & Natural #12-14 |

Upper Owens River

Flows & Water Conditions	Good
Clarity	So-so below Hot Creek, but good above
CFS	70

Click Here For Upper Owens Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: Fair-Good

We definitely need the cool down next week. The hatches are becoming more inconsistent - Big one day and disappearing the next. The only true change is in the timing of the hatches themselves. They are now about an hour later and Craneflies and Aquatic Moths are back. Craneflies appear midmorning and the moths appear early and late. The Tricos should be winding down pretty soon, but the next mayfly hatch will probably be the BWO’s and they won’t show up until at least late September.

The crowds seem to be thinning and the dry fly action has slowed, but that doesn’t mean you have to dredge the bottom either. The tough thing is that with all of the pressure from this summer, the actively feeding fish are getting super picky. Hopper-Droppers are still working well with small #20-24 mayfly nymphs. The stocked Rainbows are now spread throughout the public water while the migratory browns are either under the cut banks or up in the private ranches. Caddis migration starts around 7 AM. The Trico emergence is less consistent now, starting around 9 AM.

The Tiny BWO is becoming more abundant, hatching midday - Hence the Hopper-Dropper rig. Even the PMDs are showing up occasionally, but the caddis are the most consistent. We are also seeing minnows and fry hanging out in the drowned grass on the inside of the river bends. Evenings are good for male Tricos, Caddis hatches, and Caddis egg-laying.

Flies:

• Dries: Spider Variant Trico #20-22 | Parachute Caddis #16-22 | Spent Partridge Caddis #16-22 | Parachute Kicking Hopper #10-14 | Assorted Foam Hoppers #8-12 for Hopper Dropper Rigs |
  
• Nymphs: Tungsten Psycho May PMD #14-16 | Drowned Trico Spinner #18-22 | Bead Head Flashback Pheasant Tail #14-22 | Guides Choice #14-18 | Translucent Pupa Olive or Tan #16-18 | Chamois Caddis #16-20 | Spring Creek Hopper #12-16 | San Juan Worm | M/Pardi F/B Olive #18-20 | Weiss BP Light #18-20 | 
• Streamers: Keslars H/B/G Olive | Punk Perch #16 | Crostons MRS Natural #12 |
  

Hot Creek

Flows & Water Conditions	Fair (Weed Beds In-Canyon Are Strong, But Beginning To Thin)
Clarity	Good
CFS	8

Click Here For Hot Creek Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: Good - Very Good (Technical)

The Interpretive Site has been doing well but the crowds have followed. If you want to avoid the crowds, wait for the midday wind to clear them out. With the weed beds being as thick as they can get, hopper-droppers can be a good choice. Caddis are starting their migration around 8 AM, while the female Trico emergence starts around 9 AM. The Trico spinner fall starts around 11 AM, and those Trico spinner patterns will work through midday. Midday we’re seeing the Tiny BWO #22-26. Late afternoons and evenings hold male Trico hatches, Caddis egg-laying, and Caddis emergence. With the dropping of flows, bird predation is getting worse in shallower water, so expect the fish to move under the banks and weed beds.

Two guide tips: 1) When casting, if you’re looking at the weed beds, you will hit them, so look at the clear lanes. 2) Your drifts should be 4 seconds or less followed by a smooth but aggressive backcast - You will be amazed by the number of hookups you didn’t even know were there.

Flies:

• Dries: Upright Organza Trico #18-22 | Mimic May PMD #16 | Brooks Hot Creek Caddis #18-22 | Spent Wing Caddis #16-20 | Spring Creek Hopper Tan or Yellow #10-16 | Juicy Hopper #10-12 |
• Nymphs: Tung Stud Black #18-20 | Split Case PMD #14-18 | HDA Fav #14-16 | Expecting Scud #16-18 | Drowned Trico Spinner #20-22 | Nori Caddis Olive or Brown #14-22 | M/Pardi F/B Olive #18-20 | Weiss BP Light #18-20 | 
  
• Streamers: Kesslars H/B/S Olive & Natural #12 |

East Walker River

Flows & Water Conditions	UNFISHABLE
Clarity	DIRTY
CFS	115

Click Here For East Walker Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: ?

LARGE FISH KILL RECENTLY - CAUSED BY OVERABUNDANCE OF CO2 - DO NOT RECOMMEND FISHING RIGHT NOW.

Flies:

• Dries: Chernobyl OJ #6-10 | Adult Cranefly | Mimic May Light Cahill #14 | Missing Link #12-16 | Double Duck #14-18 | Trico Spider Variant #18-22 | Sparkle Flag Black #20-22 | Upright Organza Trico Spinner #20-22 |
• Nymphs: San Juan Worm Red | GB FB Pheasant Tail #14-20 | HDA Fav #12-16 Drowned Trico Spinner #18-22 | Tung Stud Black #20-22 | Trico Epoxy Wing Case #22 | Poxyback Trico #20 | Keslar’s Iggy Olive #14 | Caddy Shack Olive #12-14 | Bead Diving Caddis Tan #16-20 |
• Streamers: Try 'Em All

Lower Owens River

Flows & Water Conditions	Poor
Clarity	Clear by PVR, Off-Color Below
CFS	549

Click Here For Lower Owens Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: ?

Flows are high and reports are fairly nonexistent.

From Monday, September 9th through Tuesday, September 17th, no public access will be allowed within the Owens River Gorge from Long Valley Dam to the Control Gorge Power Plant. LADWP will release higher-than-normal water down the Owens River Gorge. This riparian flow will help improve fishery and wildlife habitat along the 10-mile stretch of river between the Upper Gorge Power Plant and Pleasant Valley Reservoir.

The normal summer pattern is: Micro Caddis emergence starting around 6 AM, female Trico emergence around 7 AM, and the Trico spinner fall from 9-10 AM. Remember that fish will eat the dead spinners for many hours after the fall stops. PMD hatches are occurring around 11 AM. Later in the summer, the tiny BWO 11 occur mid-afternoon. Caddis emergence, male Trico emergence, and Caddis egg-laying occur in the evening.

 

San Joaquin River (Middle-Fork)

Flows & Water Conditions	Flows are on the skinny side and water temperatures are in the 60s
Clarity	Good
CFS	16

Click Here For MF San Joaquin Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: Good

Fishing has been better elsewhere that the guides have been avoiding the driving conditions. If you want to fish it, go now as water levels are dropping quickly. Fishing has improved with a good mixture of hatches. The mornings are seeing Midges, Caddis, small Golden Stones, and Yellow Sallies. Remember access is limited to Friday through Sunday with minimal services.

Click here for more info about Reds Meadow Reconstruction Project