Fishing continues to shine as we get into the middle of the month. Crowley Lake has seen its busiest weekend since opening this year. Packed parking lots and lots of boats on the lake. The rest of the sierra is also starting to see more angling pressure.

The big question seems to still be “Lodging in the Town of Mammoth Lakes”. When will it open? What will be open? Are they taking reservations for future dates currently? Are any campgrounds open? The town is scheduled for re-opening of short term rentals and lodging starting on June 19th. This does not mean that every lodging establishment will open then, but most will, and they will be taking bookings. The best thing to do is to choose a few places to call and ask them what their plans are. Bridgeport, June Lake, Bishop, and Lee Vining do have lodging open now and for the latest updates on campgrounds click here.

 It has been an absolute stellar June for fishing this season. Most places are giving up some really nice fish this month, and with the run-off at its peak, by July, most of the creeks and rivers will be stabilizing at excellent levels. The lack of fishing pressure last month has become very apparent as we have seen huge returns on numbers and the size of fish being caught in some stand out areas.

Crowley Lake has definitely been one of these said areas. The water level has seemed to have stabilized now, and the fish have been found pretty deep. Most areas of the lake have been fishing very well from the weed beds out to the deep mud. The daphnia are now present as revealed by stomach samples from the fish we have caught, but they are still taking chironomids and damselflies. 

It has been mostly brown and rainbow trout, but now the cutthroat have been showing up in our catches this past week. The Sacramento Perch are now forming their tight schools as they gather and swim around the weeded areas in search of nesting grounds. We have been experiencing very consistent trout fishing on most days on fish from 15 – 23”. The smaller browns that were planted in the lake last year have put on some serious weight and are super fat and strong pulling. Check out our website for some amazing photos of these stunning fish here.

The creek and river waters are all fishing well too. We are getting into the time of the year where dry flies, nymphs and streamers are all working well at different times of the day. Hot Creek, the Upper Owens River, and the East Walker River are firing on all cylinders currently. The midge, caddis and mayfly hatches are building up and the dry fly fishing has been a lot of fun. The first of the grasshopper hatch was spotted last week, so if you enjoy throwing terrestrials; the time is coming.

The Lower Owens flows have risen by 100 cfs recently, and this may be the start of a flow increase. Once this gets going, we will target the water of Mono County exclusively, as the weather will get hot and the fishing will get tougher here due to higher flows. 

The San Joaquin River is still closed to drive in traffic, and we haven’t heard any news about when it will open but we will update this information on our website. With the run-off starting to fizzle out earlier this year, we anticipate some excellent fishing for the coming months.

As we begin to return to travelling and vacation again, we are not out of the woods yet (if you’ll forgive the pun). Please continue to practice good hygiene with frequent hand washing and distancing yourself from others. We encourage the use of hand sanitizers while on a guided trip, especially before eating. Face coverings like bandanas and sun gaiters will protect you from the high intensity UV rays that are found here and also serve as a reminder to not touch your face. 

As more establishments begin to open their doors in our region, we are excited to welcome everyone back to enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of the outdoors once again. We hope to see you all up here fishing again this summer with us. The kids are dying to get out as much as everyone else, and our center console bay boat fleet is at the ready. So bring the family up and come experience some of the best fly fishing with our team of expert guides, as we make some unforgettable memories together. Not to worry if you don’t have any experience fly fishing, as we can get you casting and fishing in as little as the first 15 minutes of your trip. Leave it to the professionals.

If you need to stock up on flies or just grab a handful before leaving on a trip, you can do that here. Online ordering is fast and easy, and we ship by USPS Priority Mail right to your door. To book an upcoming trip click here.