Conditions in The Canyon Are Tough

Hot Creek - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Trout Fitter Staff

by The Trout Fitter Staff
2-20-2020
Website

Flow Rates and Water Conditions:

Water Conditions: Fair to Good, showing 6 cfs as of 2/20

Flows are not accurate due to icing , OR , they just rebuilt the shed at the weir so it might be down for some time.

Fishing conditions and Hatches: Fair-Good

UPDATE: Conditions in the canyon are tough. Until the sun gets on the water it's slow so try scuds, midges or dead drift leeches. Once the sun hits the water things pick up, mainly midges with scattered mayflies. What surface activity there is has been on midges not mayflies. The interpretive site has been consistently good and very technical. My rule of thumb is, you don't go to the interpretive site, but you check out the crowds on the way to somewhere else. Please respect the fisherman already there, there's plenty of uncrowded water to be found in the canyon and also the lower Owens right now. The problem is that there is no consistency from day to day, one day great dry fly action the next day you won't see a rise. Fishing has been good and if you drive down into the canyon it will be less crowded. If you're looking for dry fly action the interpretive site is the most consistent . The canyon can have some excellent surface activity mid-day in the shallower stretches but in the deeper spots they're feeding on caddis larva, otherwise nymphing with midges, mayflies and scuds are the best bet. I did get a report today from a customer who fished with the egg pattern I had sold him for the Owens and did quite well, go figure. The road is snow free and the trails have very little snow on them. I know this sounds like a broken record but if you made it this far one more hint, streamers. With the fish populations as high as they are and the water as low as it is the bigger fish are bound to be eating the smaller relatives.

Recommended Flies

DRIES:  Stimulators #16-18 | R.P. Emerger #22 | Real Midge #24 | Stillborn Midge #20-22 | Extended Body BWO #16-20

NYMPHS:  Bottom Roller Phsyco Rycho #10-14 | T Midge #24 | Zebra Midge #18-22 | Grey/Olive Scud #16-18 |  Medallion Midge  #22-24 | Harroups Surface Emerger Brown/Olive #16-18

STREAMERS: BH Bopp Leech Olive & Brown #12-10 | Wooly Bugger Olive & Brown #12-10




More Reports

The Trout Fitter Reports
for Thursday, February 20th, 2020
Owens River - Section 3 - Upper (above Crowley): Upper Owens River Fishing Report
Pyramid Lake: Lake in Perfect Shape For Action Packed Spring Season
Owens River - Lower: Water Conditions Are Good on The Lower Owens
East Walker River (CA): East Walker River Report

The Trout Fitter Reports
for Friday, February 14th, 2020
Hot Creek: Hot Creek Fishing Report
Owens River - Section 3 - Upper (above Crowley): Upper Owens River Fishing Report
Owens River - Lower: Lower Owens Report
East Walker River (CA): East Walker River Fishing Report