The big persistent snowfall of winter 09/10 has finally caught up to us.
Let the flushing begin!!!
Over the years I have been asked more times than I care to remember, "Where's Mammoth Lake?" (the town is actually named after the Lakes Basin, not one big lake -local pet peeve.)
Well, it's down by Hwy 395 where Mammoth Creek flows under the highway. You know, Mammoth Creek Lake... won't be long until midges start hatching in there and the trout start spawning in the meadow.
(Image: Mammoth Creek is blown out and has an influence on the spring creek waters of Hot Creek)
Yep. We are in for a doozy of a runoff. Good thing the the Eastern Sierra is all about options - many, many, options. Good thing I have a boat (actually I own three, LOL) and a float tube. It is now officially "lake season" here on the Eastside of the Sierra.
Despite the raging runoff, we do have some great options for fishing right now. I have been working on Crowley and the East Walker every day this week. Both fisheries are in great shape and we have been getting into lots of fish and having fun doing so.
The Gorge is a fantastic dry fly stream and with a fixed flow of 36 cfs it's unaffected by runoff... but the stinging nettle and occasional rattler may keep you on your toes.
I also heard from a very reliable source in LADWP that the flows on the Lower Owens most likely will drop around 300 cfs this week, which is very fishable.
If you are coming to the Eastern Sierra to fish, frankly, I would go fish some of the backcountry lakes that just thawed out. You know the ones, with big browns, cutthroats, or brookies. A float tube is a great way to keep fishing and find some big trout!
So there you have it, 5 solid options to keep you busy and with all the BC lakes around here you could spend all summer and 5 more summers trying to fish them all.
Crowley Lake has been a mixed bag. There are several places on the lake that have been consistently good for weeks. Just look for all the boats, especially the guide boats, and fish there. Hahahahaha... no really, don't do that.
(Image: Crowley lake is filled with plenty of chunky bows and browns)
The lake is big and there are a lot of places fishing well as the water temps are pretty consistent everywhere and the fish are equally spread out. The North Arm (Upper Owens area) is getting a lot of tannin stained (brown water) and the water temps may be cooler up there... this may slow down the midge grab a little but it hasn't this week as I have had great days in Leighton and along Green Banks, too.
Best locations for my boat have been around 11-16 feet of water. We have been using green colors in the a.m. and brown later in the afternoon. Each area I have fished seems to have its own quirks and there has been a lot of experimentation to figure out what the fish want. No fish report is going to be a magic bullet right now. A guide will earn his $$ based on his experience and day-by-day observations of the lake and what has been working. Sorry to be so blunt, but don't expect any gimmes right now.
The Sacramento perch bite is ON but should get better after this week's cold snap on Thursday and Friday and a return of warm weather. To be honest, the trout from Crowley taste like mud, but the perch are delicious!!! If you like to eat fish... perch tacos are killer!
There used to be no limit on the perch, but this season CA DF&G instituted a 25 fish limit. This is a wise regulation as no resource is unlimited and the Sac perch are disappearing from all their native waters at an alarming rate. They are doing very well in Crowley and B-Port Lakes, however, and the lakes are loaded with them.
(Image: Golden goodness of the beer batter!)
(Image: Plenty more where those came from...)
I have been very excited about the perch this week and not many have been thrown back in the water. If you want to get some meat in your freezer... now is the time.
Email me for a very good recipe I call the "K.P. Especial". This recipe is for fried perch tacos and will rival the ones at Whoa Nellie Deli, yes I said that, no offense Matt, your menu is great and ambiance is stunning, but the KP Especial Crowley Lake Perch Tacos just plain kick ass, bottom line. Especially, when you catch the fish yourself. Fishing used to be a meat sport, remember?
Just in time for runoff to start, we are off to Hawaii. Neener, neener.... The island of Maui is about to get invaded by a family of sun & fun starved Mammothites and Alaskans. We're meeting the Bro-in-law and family from Kodiak AK and they are in need of some warm beach time as much as we are!!
See you on the flip side of the runoff!
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