Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report

Jim Stimson Reports on 9.2.2020

Wow, Labor Day weekend….. the mornings are starting to cool off and with the lower sun angle, the mountains are beginning to get that autumn hue. We are expecting record high temperatures for the next several days. It should be a fun weekend. Keep in mind there are NO campfires permitted now, even in developed campgrounds. And ad nauseam…. both Mono and Inyo Counties are requiring the use of face masks. COVID is running rampant. Please respect local businesses and be good stewards of the land. Take care of your trash, TP, sewage. That does not mean leave it for someone else to pick up. Leave no trace. NONE!

East Walker

The East Walker is very vulnerable to warm water conditions. The Bridgeport Reservoir is a heat collector and the water released into the East Walker in the summer months is tepid. Currently the flows are 95 cfs. Even first thing in the morning the water temps are in the low 70’s. Give the trout a break…. but if you insist on fishing up there, fish in the morning with heavier tippet so you can land fish quickly, then once it gets too warm, reel in, hop in your car, and head for the high country. West Walker The flows are 19 cfs, low and boney. The West Walker has gin clear water so use some stealth when approaching the water and fishing. A dry-dropper setup or Euro-style nymphing is deadly on this pocket water.

San Joaquin

The road to the Postpile and the San Joaquin River are open. Because of the pandemic, the shuttle busses will not operate this season. There will be some kind of quota system for driving your own vehicle down into the canyon. It is a zoo down there……. The flows are at 15 cfs

Hot Creek

The creek is flowing through the canyon at roughly 34 cfs. Target your casts to the feeding lanes between the weeds and rocks, plus the overhanging grasses along the margins. You may not see fish, but they are there. Try a dry-dropper setup with a caddis above and a midge or small mayfly below. Hot Creek is always a fun place to fish. If you enjoy technical fishing, this is the place to practice your laser-guided casts, mending, and good drifts. The canyon is home to not only some nice trout, but deer, osprey, and the occasional bald eagle. Enjoy!

Upper Owens River

The flows sit at about 61 cfs high in the river system. Once Hot Creek dumps into the mid-section the flows are closer to 90 cfs. Most of the trophy trout have moved back into Crowley Lake but there are still some stragglers hanging around; nice browns and rainbows. When the afternoon breezes kick in, throw on a small hopper with a “drowned” hopper below. Aim your casts along the shoreline, tight to the banks and overhanging grasses. Money!

Lower Owens River

The river is raging along at roughly 546 cfs. Beware of the high water levels, do not even think about wading across the river unless you enjoy swimming with the fish.

Get out there! You cannot catch fish if your line isn’t in the water. Stay safe!