Bishop Creek Canyon

Fish & Trail Report

7-18-24

--The Big Picture—

The summer love just keeps on rolling in the outdoor recreation space in the Bishop Creek Canyon and it’s been glorious. The weekend visitors have been here in force, especially on Saturdays, but lucky for all of us there’s plenty of hiking to do, water to play in, fish to chase after and shade to relax under. Wildflowers are somehow getting better and better, and those pesky skeeters are starting to mellow out a bit…well, at Sabrina, SLK and Parchers that is…the backcountry is still pretty lousy with those blood suckers. If you’re a fan of peak season vibes, this is the apex of the summer fun.

--Weather & Water--

Surprisingly we surpassed 80 degrees a few times last week, even went to 83 above 9200 feet one day! This totally flies in the face of my long-standing agreement with Mother Nature that I will live up here in the woods to better help visitors appreciate and enjoy the wild places of the Sierra, so long as the summer heat at my little cabin means highs in the 70’s. Despite this gross injustice, it’s still a heck of lot cooler up here its been anywhere else in the state so people seem quite content to sit under a pine or take a dip in the lake to cool off.

It should be noted that the last few days we’ve had some afternoon t-storms pop in to say hello (more to come too!) and the short bursts of rain has been extremely refreshing and makes the forest smell like joy.

The runoff has peaked but there’s still a lot of water coming down the mountain which has kept the creeks flowing beautifully, South Lake is full and Lake Sabrina is right at the 2024 max level for the dam project so we’re pretty darn happy with the water situation all things considered. Perhaps I should soften my tone with Ma’ Nature a bit….

--Trail Conditions--

It is full speed ahead on the hiking front with everything open and the trails clear. We’ve seen a lot of pics from the backcountry the past few weeks and it’s enough to make you reshuffle your priorities, abandon your coworkers and render any and all obligations totally irrelevant. You might accidentally “get lost” at REI and end up with an all-wheel drive SUV full of puffy jackets, Osprey packs, the latest greatest Jet-Boil accessories, and that fancy Mountain Hardware tent you’ve been eyeing with the twinkly little LED’s built in.

Um, sorry gang, someone got a little carried away…anyhow, if you’re a hiker, come now.

Reports from the Piute Pass & Sabrina trailheads have mostly come via our staff, who have recently ventured to Humphreys Basin, Sabrina Basin and even some of the more remote areas like Lamarck Col. Permits are a bit difficult to come by, but I have faith in you.

FYI - the bridge at the So. Fork of the San Joaquin is still down/gone so there’s a bit of extra traffic over Bishop Pass and Piute Pass as PCT & JMT hikers are cutting out the North Lake/South Lake loop (Evolution Valley, Muir Pass etc.) using this alternate route.

--Fishing Reports--

--Lake Sabrina--

We’ve had over 3000lbs of fish stocked this month so there is no shortage of fish. I’d feel dishonest if I didn’t mention that a chunk of that poundage is what I would consider “sub-catchable” fish, not big enough to get me excited. Not sure what the DFW is thinking but I'll let you know when I figure it out. Thankfully they have stocked some of the normal pan sized fish as well, and when added to the load of Oregon fish from Edison a couple weeks ago and a tank full of Wrights Rainbows from Idaho going in 7/18 (these fish were really nice btw), the bite should be just fine for a bit.

The Hot Stuff – The fish are still hitting the Thomas Buoyants trolled on top early and late in the date. Tasmanian Devils are also producing so they say. Jigs, flylined crawlers and good old Powerbait balls are getting it done,

The Hot Spots – The inlets, Cookie’s point, trolling the west shore.

At report time we had 5 pontoon boats and 10 motorboats available for rent. We also have kayaks, a canoe and stand-up PADDLE BOARDS for rent!!! Reservations are highly recommended and can be made online so click here or visit www.LakeSabrinaBoats.com.

Current operating hours 7am – 6pm Daily.

--South Lake—

Fishing has been hot on the weekends and then pretty mediocre for a day or two til the inlets reload with fish. Having said that, even when the fish are there it's been less than what I'm used to seeing - my guess is that with lots fish ending up on the stringer over the weekends and a whole bunch more being caught and released and nursing a sore lip it just enough to slow it down periodically. My advice is to check out some of the less pressured spots.

The Hot Stuff – First the broken record – fly-lined crawlers, Thomas buoyants casted or trolled, Sierra Slammer jigs. Now HERE IS WHERE SOMETHING NEW is happening….trolling 3 to 5 colors has been the hot ticket for some – try TBs, Kastmasters, or flasher/crawler. We’ll have lead core rods for rent this weekend and we’re gonna slap some rod holders on a few boats so if trolling becomes the mid-summer pattern and stays that way, we’ve got you.

The Hot Spots – Jigs and worms up tight at the inlets or micetails a little deeper. There are a lot of fish back off the inlets in. 10 to 20ft of water or suspended between the dam and the point of boiler cove. I’d suggest fishing some of the less obvious spots like the east channel by the island, the springs on the west shore or the section of the rockslide closest to the dam.

At report time the South Lake fleet has 5 pontoon boats, 10 motorboats and 2 kayaks. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made on the Parchers Resort website www.ParchersResort.net

Current operating hours 7am – 6pm Daily.

--Bishop Creek--

DFW did well and dropped 1000lbs in last week – the fishing was good thereafter. We also dropped a bunch of Idaho fish in this morning....should be a good week.

--Intake 2—

Haven’t heard….I don’t get out much (well, not counting Sabrina & South).

--North Lake—

No clue.

--Backcountry Angling--

Oh my – it is TIME for the always feisty and unbelievably gorgeous wild trout in the backcountry. If you have a plan on where you want to go and what you want to catch, you’re very likely to be successful. We’ve seen snaps of some impressive Brookies, Goldens and Rainbows CPR’d (caught, photographed, released) in the past couple weeks. Dries, nymphs, big black ants, hopper dropper…remember gang, it’s still the early season for the alpine trout – and they’re hungry!!!

--Waterfront Café at Sabrina is OPEN--

Kitchen & Grill

8am – 3pm Fri-SunKiller breakfast burritos, bowls, & hot cakes for breakfast and big ol' burgers and steak sammies for lunch.

Coffee, Pie & Beer Counter

8am – 6pm DailyServing Fat Trout coffee by local roasters Black Sheep Coffee, our famous homemade pie, local brews on tap.

For Cabin Rentals visit our lodging website at www.ParchersResort.net

The Parchers Store on the South Fork of Bishop Creek is open daily from 8am to 6pm. We have a great stretch of creek adjacent to the resort so fish the creek and stop in to say hi!

--Roads--

Everything within the canyon is open. Trailheads are open. Launch ramps are open. Had buddies up at Coyote Flat last week, rough ride but open. Bring it on!!!!

--Campgrounds—

All USFS campgrounds are open! YAY!

Please remember that DISPERSED CAMPING IS PROHIBITED up here, so if you wanna camp, expect to pay.

Weather Updates and Forecasts for Our Specific Longitude and Latitude Can Be Found at www.LakeSabrinaBoatLanding.com and clicking the puffy little cloud below our phone number.

--Business Opportunity--

The time has come for Steve & Judy to fully retire so we're currently searching for the next owners of Parchers Resort & South Lake Landing. If you think you have what it takes to live the mountain life, visit www.parchersresort.net/business-opportunity for details. Price has been reduced so take a gander and be our neighbor!

Until next time……tight lines and happy trails!

Sierrally,

Jared (me), Seth, Judy, Steve and the whole Lake Sabrina, South Lake Landing & Parchers Crew

Photos compiled by our staff and the rest of the information sourced from our crew and our wonderful guests. Thank You!!!