Howdy friends and Sierra Drifters.?? Best fishes to all for the brand spanking new moon in May fish report from the Eastern High Sierra.??

There are excellent short term advantages to having below average precipitation winters such as this one.?? The tailwater fisheries of the East Walker River and Lower Owens River which have been blown out with water releases the last few spring seasons are running at fall discharges and are in great shape and fishing well.?? Some of the freestone creeks are beginning to swell a little depending on the weather, but overall it has been very predictable with gradual increases in flows over most of the prime watersheds in the region.?? The warming weather this week had water temps climbing and the trout becoming increasingly more active.?? The bugs are a bumping and the spring hatches awesome!?? The Eastern Sierra fisheries are reaping the benefits of the abundant precipitation we have experienced over the last several seasons and the stage is set for a stellar summer. ??Heavy snow and rain would be welcome next winter however!??

No major weather changes forecast for this week, but I must say we have had more than our share of those obnoxious diurnal winds recently in the upper and lower valleys.?? You tubers need to keep a close eye on the late morning easterly winds on Crowley and the gusty westerly gales barreling down from the Sawtooths on Bridgeport Reservoir around noon.??

Tioga and Sonora Passes are currently open as is the road into the Mammoth Lakes Basin.?? The road into Reds Meadow and the San Joaquin River will open before Memorial Day we are told, but it is currently closed.??