BISHOP -- It’s time to shift gears when it comes to the Eastern Sierra outdoor scene with the Nov. 15 closing of the general trout season. But for a growing clan of anglers it’s time to escape the “freeway” trout fishing scene and target late fall and winter year round open waters from Lone Pine to Bridgeport.
Indeed, the summer combat fishing scene is history.
Year round open waters offer a challenge ranging from offering a properly presented creation of feather and fur for the flyfishing clan, soaking a nightcrawler throwing a favored lure.
On the open water scene, the Owens River offers close to 100 miles challenging habitat from Lone Pine north to Mono County above Pleasant Valley Reservoir. And there’s additional year round open Owens River water governed, by special regulations’ north of the Benton Crossing road above Crowley Lake.
Early in the fall season Diaz Lake near Lone Pine and Pleasant Valley Reservoir close to Bishop provide opportunity for the bait soaker and lure thrower. And in Mono County the East Walker River near Bridgeport and Hot Creek are on the year round open water list—with special regulations.
HEAVYWEIGHT DFG BROODSTOCK spice up the action on the Owens River beginning around late December or early January.
Looking at the Owens River and Pleasant Valley Reservoir, late fall and winter “truck trout” anglers will see plants of DFG catchables on a projected twice a month schedule-governed by weather conditions. Additional plants of heavyweight broodstock rainbow are on the schedule for late December- early January.
Locations will be Pleasant Valley Reservoir and the Owens River from the Hwy. 6 Bridge near Bishop downstream to Big Pine. (Section 2 on the published planting schedule) Plants will alternate between the river and Pleasant Valley Reservoir. These locations are not subject to special regulations.
For the flyfisherman, special regulations apply to the Owens River for three miles of water below Pleasant Valley Reservoir. This water is not stocked with plants and holds a thriving population of wild brown and rainbow trout. Cold weather fly fishers anglers favor this water from around mid-morning until early afternoon on relatively warm days when the weather warms bringing out periodic insect hatches.
Catch and release, barbless hook lure or fly regulations are the rule of the days for this location.
Also on the special regulation list are the Mono County waters of the Owens River, north of the Benton Crossing road, East Walker River and Hot Creek. Flyfishing is well publicized for the Owens and East Walker Rivers. However trophy class catches are often times taken working barbless hook lures. Small minnow imitators rank high on the list of producers. Hot Creek is an exception. This is a barbless, hook, fly-fishing only water.
Weather conditions can govern access to these locations. The East Walker River generally is accessible throughout the winter. However snowfall can restrict access to the upper Owens River and Hot Creek. Call ahead of time for current conditions.
For the Owens River from Bishop south water level can be an issue. Depending of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power releases conditions can ranger from ideal to fast flowing over the banks conditions. Again, call ahead of time for current conditions.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir is a productive standby when river conditions are not tolerable. In addition to stocked catchables, the reservoir holds a thriving population of wild brown trout ranging from pan size to trophy class fish measured by the pounds. The old standby at this locations has been throwing a variety of lures when the suns off the water. early morning or late evening.
The Owens River Gorge above Pleasant Valley Reservoir is packed with pan-sized brown trout that will inhale just about any offering.
Accessing this location from the frontage road involves an easy hike downhill, but coming out it’s a definite test for the cardiovascular system. General regulations apply to this location.
An added dimension to the Owens River scene is wintertime guided drift boat excursions.
Several local guides have been providing the service for the past few years offering access to locations not available to shore anglers and posting trophy class catches.
On my favored winter trouting location menu number one is the upper Owens River as long as the weather holds. Working a No. 5 countdown fire tiger close in to the undercut banks has been a consistent producer. When the temperature hits the single digit mark and shoveling snow has become a weekly routine, it’s time to head for the Owens Valley.
Pleasant Valley Reservoir is always on the agenda, fishing evenings during tolerable weather is consistently productive throwing the old standby, red and gold Thomas Buoyant. When the river level is favorable, you can find me drifting a nightcrawler off the bottom on the Owens River. Working the section from Three Bridges downstream to Hwy. 6 is a never fail location for brown trout running up to the 14-inch class.
Quite a few days are spent chasing quail from Big Pine south. I always try to spend in a few hours on the Owens River directly below Tinnemeha Reservoir. This location sees a lot of summertime pressure during but is deserted during the winter months because it’s off the stocking schedule.
Soaking a nightcrawler can produce browns, an occasional holdover rainbow along with small mouth and larg mouth bass. Most of the bass are a few inches shy of the minimum12-inch size limit but can provide plenty of action.
Late fall and winter weather conditions can change overnight. Mornings are well below freezing, gale force winds can blow, and it can snow or rain. But in-between weather fronts it can be warm (within reason) and sunny. Always check the weather report and call ahead.
And wintertime Sierra regulations see a change in possession limits for unrestricted water. It’s five a day, five in possession, not the 5 and 10 rule during the general season.
For updated Owens Valley conditions contact Culver’s Sporting Goods (760) 872-8361, Mac’s Sporting Goods, (760) 872-9201 Brocks Flyfishing Specialists (760) 872-3581, Sierra Outfitters (760) 872-3830.
Farther north conditions are available from The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes (760) 924-3676 and Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport
(760) 932-7707.
For drift boat information contact The Troutfitter, Brocks Flyfishing Specialists, Sierra Outfitters Sierra Drifters, (760) 935-4250.
