Bishop Creek Canyon

Fish & Trail Report

8-3-21

The hikers are out and about making the most of a spectacular summer. Backpackers and thru hikers have had to endure more rain that usual over the past couple weeks, but this coming week’s forecast is perfection. The extra rain has mostly been a blessing after such a dry winter, lord knows we need the water any way we can get it. Lots of thru hikers are stopping in at our store to pick up their resupply buckets and grab a shower so it’s safe to say the peak season is here.

There are still some wildflowers hanging around and the skeeters are starting to disappear, YAY! There’s no time like the present to come on up and lace up your boots.

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A quick reminder to overnight folks to please adhere to posted parking signs so there is enough room for day hikers and anglers.

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The South Fork is still rippin’ pretty good with moderately high flows. The steeper sections are a little harder to fish at this level but a great many spots in areas with flat water are perfect.

 

The Middle Fork below Lake Sabrina is much lower, more akin to fall flows, but most of the popular spots are accessible and plenty deep to fish.

 

Fly anglers have had the most consistent success on both forks with wild Browns and Brookies aggressively feeding drys, fun stuff. For the bait folks, salmon eggs are still the best for the stocker Rainbows. Haven’t talked with many lure anglers as of late but a panther martin or crappie jig are certainly worth a try. The Idaho fish aren’t gone by any stretch so come and get ‘em!

 

The lake has be slowly but steadily rising over the past couple weeks which is really awesome news for everyone. A combination of rain and SCE holding back some water has the lake up nearly 2ft. This is really important as it extends the length of time they’ll be able to keep their boats in the water.

Reports have varied considerably so it’s all about finding the right spot. One report had an angler catching and releasing 57 fish over a 4 day stretch, most of which came from Sabrina. The first cove beyond the island and the inlets were best. Any garlic flavored Powerbait is the best bait and as far as lures go, it’s the usual suspects…Thomas Buoyants and jigs. Some of the best reports are from anglers fishing late in the afternoon or early evening when crowds are lightest.

 

Not many folks reporting from Weir this week. Not sure if that’s because they aren’t catching there or maybe it’s just getting light pressure. In any case, the fish are there so grab your waders and fly rod and get after it!

 

A better grade of fish, but with easy access comes lots of anglers so it’s been a little crowded, especially in the mornings.

The spillway project has been rescheduled for another year, thank goodness. Should be good access with periodic DFW stockings here into September.

 

We’re not aware of any fish stocking up there and very few people are heading up that way unless it’s to hike.

 

Not much going on up there as the water has continued to drop and holdovers from last year are running very thin. The fish that are left have apparently wised up to the most common lures and baits making the bite even tougher.

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No boats available this year due to the drought conditions.

 

Backcountry anglers in the know are still catching, but the bite has slowed down a bit but hitting the trail in search of wild trout is still one of the best bets in the canyon. Make sure to keep track of the weather and get an early start for your best chance at scoring some beautiful wild fish.

 

Only a few reports but trolling seems to be good. Midging is a little less dependable and the fish are deep. Very much worth a visit though, especially now that it’s “artificial lures only” now and the bait ‘n wait folks are done for the season.

 

It’s been a couple week since the DFW has stocked, which means we’ll likely get more fish soon…time will tell. We also have more Idaho fish on the way and we’ll be sure to let you know when they’ve arrived.

Sierrally,

The Parchers Crew