Is this the end of Indian summer in the Eastern Sierra as a storm is expected to hit the Eastern Sierra this weekend? This storm is expected to leave snow on the ground above 7,000 feet. The real question, is the weather going to warm up again after the storm? Great weather, good fly fishing and the last full weekend of the regular fishing season saw lots of fly fishers taking advantage of Eastern Sierra fly fishing opportunities last weekend. Some waters were crowded for this time of the year. Spawning fish moving up the tributaries from lakes are offering good fall fly fishing for brook trout and brown trout. Midges, mayflies and caddisflies continue to feed trout on the surface and the substrate. Be aware that Saturday November 15th, 2025 is the last day of the regular fishing season. Winter regulations go into effect on Sunday November 16th, 2025.
If you want firsthand information on Eastern Sierra fly fishing join locals and visitors every Tuesday at Mahogany Smoked Meats for Tuesday Talks with Fred from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M.
Fall in the Eastern Sierra is the perfect time to be fly fishing especially the upper Owens River looking for trophy trout.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Mayflies are hatching mid-day and the trout are feeding on the nymphs and the adults. There are lots of five to 15 inch wild brown and rainbow trout feeding in the riffles and pools. The words out that the fly fishing on the lower Owens River is good and there are lots of fly fishers taking advantage of the current fly fishing conditions and warm weather on the weekend. Nymphing with size 18 olive quill nymph, size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchies, size 18 olive quilldigon and size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph are the nymphs that are fooling the trout. On the surface fish with size 18 olive sparkle duns, size 18 Adams parachutes and size 18 blue wing olive parachutes to fool six to 12 inch rainbows and browns. Whether fishing with dries or nymphs an upstream cast with a drag free drift is going to produce more fish.
Fall is the perfect time to enjoy the lower Owens River with warm days and trout feeding on nymphs and dries.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Snow this weekend could hamper access to the Interpretive Site. Snow and cloudy days make the blue wing olive hatch more intense. Be on the creek by nine with a size 20 olive sparkle dun, size 20 Adams parachute and size 20 blue wing olive parachute on the end of a size 6X tippet attached to nine foot 5X or 6X leader. Caddis hatches are starting to disappear, but size 20 elk hair caddis patterns should be in the fly boxes of fly fishers for those days that the caddis hatch.
Snow is expected to lightly blanket Hot Creek this weekend as a storm moves through the Eastern Sierra.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Snow on the ground, weed beds are breaking up and most fly fishers are off the creek. This is the perfect time to be fly fishing in the canyon. Working nymphs in between the weed beds, in the open riffles and deeper holes is producing wild rainbows and browns to 15 inches. Fish with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 18 tiger and zebra midges. Fishing with dries is the best way to fly fish. When the trout come to the surface to feed on hatching insects it’s time to switch from nymphs to dries. When the blue wing olive mayfly hatch starts fish with size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns and size 20 blue wing olive parachutes. When the hatch is over switch back to nymphs or head off the creek in search of other waters to fly fish. The upper Owens is only 20 minutes away.
Upper Owens River trophy rainbow trout are feeding on size 12 stoner nymphs in the deep holes, deep runs and cutbanks.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Below Benton Crossing Bridge the upper Owens River closes to fishing on Saturday November 15th an hour after sunset. Fishing last weekend on the upper Owens River was crowded with fly fishers enjoying great weather, the last weekend of the regular season and fly fishing for trophy trout. Rainbows are providing most of the action for trophy trout. Occasionally a trophy brown trout will take a nymph or streamer. With all the fly fishing pressure successful fly fishers are covering lots of water looking for pods of trophy trout. With the fly fishing pressure the trout are spookier than normal. In these conditions fly fishers who can present nymphs and streamers gently on the water are more likely to catch fish. Size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold wire Prince nymphs, size 12 gold ribbed hare’s ear variations, size 14 copper John’s and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs are fooling the trophy trout and the occasional juvenile trout.
Working this deep hole behind the Bishop Veterinary Hospital is producing juvenile rainbows and brown on the surface with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes middle of the day.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Fly fishers looking to catch wild juvenile trout on dry flies should fish the canal from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. daily with size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 Griffith’s gnats and size 20 elk hair caddis. Fishing dries in the faster riffle sections and pools below are where the juvenile trout are feeding on the hatching mayflies, caddis and midges. Nymphing with size 12 stoner nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 12 green/gold prince nymphs, size 18 midges in tiger and zebra coloration and size 16 hot spot pheasant tail nymphs are producing stocked rainbows from 12 to 16 inches. The stockers are spread throughout the canal. Fishing the sandy areas between the weed beds is where the nymphs are producing the bigger stocked rainbows. Starting on Sunday November 16th, 2025 the canal goes to catch and release fishing with barbless lures and flies.