Bishop Creek Fish Report - Bishop, CA (Inyo County)

Conditions Report: Upper Bishop Creek Canyon

Bishop Creek - Bishop, CA (Inyo County)

South Lake April 2023

by Parchers Resort Gang
4-21-2023
(760) 873-4177
Website

We’re a little over a week out - Trout fishing officially opens for the resort lakes on April 29th. The conditions are a bit limiting to say the least but here is a rundown of how things look. Oh....and right up front...BE CAREFUL folks wherever you end up with opener, these conditions are changing quickly and it's always smart to error on the side of caution. The lakes and streams will still be there for you next time.

Roads……

Hwy 168 West - Open as far as Aspendell. Closed from the winter closure gate to Lake Sabrina. Caltrans has some ongoing snow removal activities underway but the stretch of highway beyond the gate and the lake is notoriously susceptible to slides and avalanches so a hard date for reopening the road is not available. Parking is in extremely short supply. Be respectful to residents and DO NOT park in the neighborhood.

South Lake Road – Open from the junction at Hwy 168 W to just beyond Bishop Creek Lodge. Inyo County has started snow removal operations on the road however progress has been slow due to snow depth and debris. From the closure the road might appear clear, trust us – it’s not. Parking is exceedingly limited. It is 3 miles to Parchers and 4 miles to South Lake from the closure.

North Lake Rd – Closed. No estimated time of reopening.

Lake Conditions………

Intake II – Open water.

North Lake – No Reports

Lake Sabrina – Snowed in. Ice thickness unknown. Ice fishing is the only possibility. Access to the lake, lack of parking and snow/ice depth could prove prohibitive.

South Lake – Snowed in. Ice thickness unknown, but I very much doubt anything less than a 5ft auger blade would hit water in most places….I’d guess more like 7ft if I was a betting man. South hasn’t been stocked since 2020 so I’d spend my time elsewhere until it thaws, and we get some fish in there.

Obviously, it snowed this winter. Like, a lot. In some areas it was the most snow in recorded history as a matter of fact…its crazy. It was also extraordinarily cold during some stretches of the winter and the storms were spread out from December through March so a whole bunch of snow is still here.

I suppose with 7 of the last 10 years being drought years or below average snowpack years, we need the water, but it's safe to say that we all did the "snow dance" a bit too well and too often because holy mackerel, did we ever get buried.

Opening this spring won’t be a walk in the park, it’s going to be an adventure to say the least, but because our operations are all over 9,000 feet of elevation, dealing with snow while opening is far closer to “normal” for us than it is for many of our neighbors.

(see pics from past seasons).

There are still quite a few variables at play, including unpredictable spring weather, but now that we’ve had a chance to scope things out for ourselves, our planned opening dates remain as planned.

Opening Dates*

Parchers Resort Cabins

Thursday May 25th

Parchers Resort Store/Office

Friday May 26th

Lake Sabrina Store/Cafe

Friday May 26th (Limited Menu)

Lake Sabrina Boat Rentals

ASAP (probably early June)

South Lake Boat Rentals

ASAP (probably mid-June)

* All dates are subject to change based on God (the weather) & Government (the road). We’ll handle the Gumption.