Fishing Report
Eastern Sierra Fishing photos compiled by our local guide staff and the rest of the information sourced from their crew and our wonderful guests. Thank You!!!
Photo @CarterMurphyPhoto
Lower Owens
The time for dry fly fishing on the wild trout section of the lower Owens River is now. Mid-day hatches of blue wing olive mayflies and caddisflies are bringing the trout to the surface to feed on the hatching caddis and mayfly duns. For the caddis there are two species hatching. Use size 16 and 20 elk hair caddis, parachute caddis and X-caddis. For the blue wing olive mayflies fish with size 18 blue wing olive parachutes, Adams parachutes and olive sparkle duns. Be sure to move around and find consistently feeding trout if there is little to no dry fly activity where you are fly fishing. Before and after the hatch nymphing is producing wild rainbow and brown trout to 16 inches. Euro nymphing and indicator nymphing are the methods to present the nymphs to the trout. Nymph with size 18 olive quill RS2, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 18 Jedi Master Baetis, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 20 tiger or zebra midges.
>> Complete Lower Owens Fishing Report by Sierra Trout Fly Shop
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge
There is a mid-day hatch of blue wing olives that the resident trout are feeding on. These eight to 12 inch fish will take a size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 Adams parachute and a size 18 olive sparkle dun off the surface. For nymphs fish with a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon and size 16 SOS nymph. Fly fishers thoroughly fishing the cut banks, deep runs and deep holes will find a few trophy rainbow trout willing to take size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs and size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ears variations. The key to success is thoroughly covering lots of water to find the few trophy rainbow trout that are still in the upper Owens River system.
>> Complete Fishing Report by Sierra Bright Dot
Hot Creek
Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing the Interpretive site. To present the nymphs to the trout fish with a dry and dropper rig or a Euro rig. Fish with a size 22 tiger midges, size 22 zebra midges, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 SOS nymphs. Mid-day hatches of midges and a few blue wing olive mayflies have the fish feeding on the surface. The midges are tiny and hard to imitate an individual midge. Fish with a size 20 Griffith’s gnat or a size 24 midge adult pattern. There are a few blue wing olive mayflies hatching and fly fishers using a size 20 blue wing olive parachute, size 20 Adams parachute and size 20 olive sparkle dun will fool a few of the trout feeding on the hatching blue wing olive duns.
Bishop Creek Canal
Spooky trout in the low clear waters of Bishop Cree Canal is making fly fishing tough. The long flat sections of the canal are nearly impossible to make a cast without spooking the trout. Fish the deeper holes and faster riffle sections where the trout are not as easily spooked. Nymphing continues to be the most productive method of fly fishing the canal. Use size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 SOS nymphs, size 20 zebra midges and size 20 tiger midges under a dry fly or with a Euro rig.
>> Complete Bishop Creek Canal Fishing Report by Sierra Bright Dot
Crowley Lake (Waiting for Fishmas 2025)
Crowley Lake and the Owens River from Crowley Lake to Benton Crossing Bridge is closed for the season. Crowley Lake will open to fishing on Saturday April 26th, 2025.
Fishing Reports by top ranked Fishing Guides – Owens River, Hot Creek, Bishop Creek and Eastern Sierra Lakes
- Local Fishing Report by Sierra Trout Magnet
- Weekly Fly Fishing Report by Sierra Bright Dot
- Bishop Creek Fishing Report by Parchers Resort
Fishing Maps
Bishop Creek
Courtesy of Parchers Resort and South Lake Landing
Season ends November 15 until Fishmas in April 2025. Dress in layers, it’s chilly.
Latest about fishing Bishop
With the latest set of storms moving out of the Eastern Sierra it’s time for another warming trend. This will help spur the hatches that are stirring in Eastern Sierra waters. It will take a few days for waters in the upper elevations to become easily accessible. Wind is the bane of fly fishers. Let’s hope for some windless days. Hatches of midges, caddisflies and mayflies are bring the trout to the surface and the bigger fish are feeding on the nymphs. Sierra Bright Dot guides are available to teach fly fishers the techniques that produce trout in Eastern Sierra waters.
Year-Round Fishing
