upper owens river

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 11.11.20

The Upper Owens just below Mammoth Lakes California has the Meat! Flows are low and clear as usual for this time of year making for some spooky quarry. Cold weather hit hard this last week pushing some more fish towards the north and upstream. Days are clear and the smoke is completely gone while Mammoth Mountain can be seen in the distance covered in snow. Fish the deepest and darkest areas of the Upper Owens. Time appropriation is crucial as these fish are more characteristic of Steelhead than Rainbow Trout. A few Brown Trout are also coming up with the mix of Rainbows and are a pleasure to catch. Stay tuned for many more updates on this amazing fishery throughout the winter.

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fly fishing

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 10.12.20

The Upper Owens River Fly Fishing is getting addicting as the river makes its seasonal change right below the town of Mammoth Lakes, CA. The entire river is full of Trout of all sizes and species. Rising fish are noted as well as some lunkers heading up and hanging out in the deeper water. Water flows are seasonally low and clear. Weeds are minimal and dying off with the cooler night temperatures preparing the landscape for the coming season. Attractor nymphs, streamers, and dry flies (for the smaller fish) can all be casted out and presented properly with success on the Upper Owens River this time of year. Stay tuned for weekly reports tracking the fishing on this amazing trout fishery.

Crowley Lake Fly Fishing

Crowley Lake Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 9.12.20

Crowley Lake Fly Fishing near Mammoth Lakes has been as good as we can remember. Never the exact same, but great. Size and variety of fish are unmatched. Lahonton Cutthroats, masculine Browns, and absolute HOG Rainbows are what you can expect here. Fish are now being located and caught in anywhere from 6′ to 30′ of water. Most anglers appreciate the shallower depths for casting, some have been rewarded for going deeper. Perch Fry, Damsels and Chironomids have been on our lines taking fish recently. Some algae is forming in some areas of the lake and changes daily due to wind and weather. The lake continues to drop slowly as the LADWP flows water down the hill. We imagine this should come to an end relatively soon. All spots seem to have their moments from the North Arm, around to Macgee, back to Hilton and even Crooked. Well defined weed lines are great places to get started and possibly hook the trout of a lifetime!

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Upper Owens River

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 9.12.20

The Upper Owens River Fly Fishing near Mammoth Lakes, CA has changed a bit since the Canadian cold sweep earlier this week. The river still flows at a late summer subtle level. Water clarity is as usual always fishable, and water temps remain within healthy levels. The Hoppers are still there but they struggle to get moving until the sun warms them at a later time depending on the day. Before that anxiously awaited moment we end up going down under the water with all sorts of attractor nymphs and streamers. The entire river holds fish, read the water to appropriate your time wisely and spend it in the fishiest looking holding water. As we feel the cooler mornings rolling in we look forward to the fish of the Fall that come up river.

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing : Bishop, CA – 9.12.20

The mighty Lower Owens River near Bishop, CA continues to flow, for us fly fisherman, far to high at nearly 600 cfs. This must drop soon as we wonder where the water continues to come from to support these crazy flows. For now, we will imagine how the trout deep in the water columns are taking advantage of the larger food volume. Putting on weight for the winter months….

happy lady holds a good sized brown trout above the upper owens river

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, California – 7.29.20

Hoppers! Do I really need to say anything else on this report!? The grassy fields of the Upper Owens River near Mammoth Lakes, California have been full of the leaping insects, and the resident Trout have been taking full advantage of the situation. No doubt putting on some serious yearly mass for the seasons ahead. Windy days? Yes! We love them! In this case many hoppers are blown into the water this making themselves available to feeding trout. All sections of the river have been fishing well. Flows are clear and cool and very manageable at around 65cfs. Normal bug activity is also noted in seams and foam lines. Nymphing various attractor nymphs as usual is very effective. Crowds have been here and there but usually one can find a place to call their own for the time they are on the edge of the unique Upper Owens River just down from Mammoth Lakes.