It’s fall and we are heading towards winter. Before we end up in the grips of winter there are fish to be caught, hikes to be taken and waters to fish that will be closing on November 15th, 2026. Is it time for an end of the season trip to the Eastern Sierra to fly fish the lakes and streams? There is a storm this week leaving rain in the Eastern Sierra. In the meantime the trout are feeding on mayflies, caddis flies and midges on the surface and on the substrate. Dry flies are producing trout on the right waters. Crowley Lake marina will be closing to boat entry on Sunday October 25th, 2026. Most Eastern Sierra moving waters will be changing to winter regulations on Monday November 16, 2026.
Summer crowds are gone and for fly fishers hunting around for solitude they will find it on the streams and creeks of the Eastern Sierra.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Look for new fish to be moving into the river with this storm moving through the Eastern Sierra. For trophy trout fish with nymphs and streamers in deep holes, deep runs and cut banks where they’re resting and feeding. For the nymphs use size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 Richard’s gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 14 copper John’s, and size 14 Duracell nymphs. For streamers use wooly buggers, matukas, slumpbusters, mini dungeon, sculpzilla and mini peanuts. Fishing nymphs and dries in the late morning is producing juvenile rainbows and browns. There has been a mayfly hatch that the juvenile trout are feeding on the hatching nymphs and emerging duns. Use size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 18 Adams parachutes, size 18 blue wing olive parachutes, size 16 E/C caddis and size 18 elk hair caddis.
Fall is a great time to be on the upper Owens River throwing nymphs in hopes of hooking up with a trophy rainbow or brown trout.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
An early afternoon hatch of caddis and blue wing olive mayflies have the trout feeding on the surface. The two insects are hatching concurrently. For the blue wing olives fish with size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns, size 20 RS2’s, size 20 olive WD40’s and blue wing olive emergers. For the caddis fish with size 20 gray E/C caddis, size 20 parachute caddis, size 20 X-caddis and size 20 gray sparkle caddis nymphs. As the caddis hatch comes to an end a caddis migration takes place. When this happens switch from a caddis pupae pattern to a caddis adult pattern.
The head waters of Hot Creek is directly below Hot Creek Hatchery.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
Weed beds are still a problem for those fly fishers wanting to nymph in the canyon. Hatching mayflies and caddis are feeding the trout in the early afternoons. The hatches are concurrent. This would be a great time to fish a dry and dry rig with a size 20 gray elk hair caddis, size 20 gray E/C caddis, size 20 gray parachute caddis, size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 Adams parachutes and size 20 olive sparkle duns. This allows the fly fish to imitate the caddis and blue wing olive mayflies at the same size. A lot of the trout are feeding on the hatching caddis pupae and using a size 20 gray sparkle caddis nymphs, size 20 gray deep caddis pupae and size 20 gray CDC caddis pupae is what the trout are looking to eat. Fish these with a Leisenring lift to imitate the action of the emerging caddis pupae.
Putting on the waders and wading the Owens River Gorge gives fly fisher a drag free drift which produces a lot of trout.
Owens River Gorge:
With the heat of summer gone and the snows of winter not on the ground yet fly fishers are taking advantage of fishing in the Owens River Gorge with a dry and dropper rig. Use size 14 stimulators, size 16 elk hair caddis and size 16 Adams parachutes for the dry fly in the dry and dropper rig. For the nymph use a size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 18 olive quilldigon, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear and size 16 tiger and zebra midges. Avoid rattle snakes, rose bushes and stinging nettles that are in the Owens River Gorge.
Flows on the lower Owens have been fluctuating around 275 CFS which is at the top end of safe wading in the lower Owens River.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Water levels are under the 300 CFS threshold of being able to wade. Problem is they are only down to 275 CFS which is still high and a lot of fly fishers will find it tough to wade. Still waiting for the flows to drop down to the normal flows of winter at 100 CFS. Check flows before heading out to the river. Check the flows at https://www.sierrabrightdot.com/water-flows-owens-river-east-walker-river. For nymphs fish with size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 Frenchie’s and size 16 Duracell nymphs.
The flats section of Bishop Creek Canal comes alive mid-morning as the trout are feeding on the hatching blue wing olive mayfly duns.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Late morning to early afternoon there is a blue wing olive mayfly hatch. Start off fishing with blue wing olive mayfly nymphs. Use size 18 blue wing olive parachute, size 18 Adams parachute, size 18 olive sparkle dun, Barr’s olive emerger and size 18 RS2’s.
Brook trout are still being active in the freestone creeks high up in the canyons like this brook trout caught in Weir Pond.
Bishop Creek Canyon
South Fork:
Fall colors high up in Bishop Creek Canyon at Weir Pond and North Lake have peaked. The brook trout are still in spawning colors and fly fisher’s fishing nymph and dries are fooling the brook trout. Fish a dry and dropper to give the trout the opportunity to take either a dry fly or a nymph. On good days half the fish come on the dry and half come on the nymph. Fish with size 14 stimulators, size 16 Adams parachutes and size 16 elk hair caddis for dry flies. The trout are feeding opportunistically and will take size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 16 Prince nymphs, size 16 gold/green brassies, size 16 tiger midges and size 16 zebra midges. If the trout are being picky throw an emerger pattern like an RS2, WD40, CDC midge emerger and zebra midge emerger.