Opening weekend was a combination of wind, rain and snow depending on the elevation you were at. It was a typical opening day with wind and rain. Upper elevation mountain tops got a dusting of fresh snow. I attended the Lone Pine Opening Day Trout Tournament held at Diaz Lake. Kids and adults endured the wind and a few drops of rain. Dry flies, nymphs and streamers are producing trout in the waters of the Eastern Sierra. Mayflies, caddis, midges and young of the year trout are feeding the wild and stocked trout in Eastern Sierra waters.
Cold and windy is typical of spring weather in the Eastern Sierra, but a backdrop of snow on the Glass Mountains makes for a pretty day on the upper Owens River looking for trophy trout with a streamer.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
Flows continue to fluctuate from 200 CFS to 250 CFS. 250 CFS is pushing the top end of safe wading conditions. I suggest checking flows daily so you know what to expect when wading in the lower Owens River. You can check the lower Owens River flows here: Lower Owens River: http://wsoweb.ladwp.com/Aqueduct/realtime/norealtime.htm. At these flows nymphing with an indicator rig or a Euro rig is how you are going to present nymphs to the trout. The key is to have the right amount of weight in the flies or on the tippets in the form of split shot. With the increased flows the trout have moved into the slower water spots on the edges of the pools and riffles. Thoroughly covering the water with your nymphs and paying attention to the water type that is producing hits and trout is where to concentrate your effort. Use size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 Duracell nymphs, size 16 rainbow warriors, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears and size 12 stoner nymphs.
Sierra Bright Dot guide Richard Lancaster Euro nymphing a deep hole on the lower Owens River pre fishing before a guide trip at 200 CFS.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
Over cast days boost the blue wing olive mayfly hatch. There seems to be more blue wings hatching and it takes longer for their wings to dry. The amount of time the mayflies are on the water intensifies the surface feeding of the rainbow and brown trout of Hot Creek. Casting to specific rising fish with a drag free drift will fool the finicky trout of Hot Creek. Use size 20 blue wing olive parachutes, size 20 olive sparkle duns, size 20 Adams parachutes, size 20 gray parachute caddis and size 20 gray X-caddis.
Nymph fishing in Hot Creek Canyon is good in the spring before the weed beds take over the creek.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
While Hot Creek Canyon is known for its nymphing there can good dry fly days in the canyon. Over cast days makes for better blue wing olive mayfly hatches. Before the hatch nymph with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 Frenchie’s, size 16 Duracell nymphs, size 18 soft hackle brassies, size 18 tiger midge and size 18 zebra midge. On the surface fish with size 20 blue wing olive mayflies, size 20 olive sparkle duns and size 20 Adams parachutes.
The upper Owens River is flowing from bank to bank and fly fishers working the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks are looking for the start of the trophy cutthroat season.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
This time of the year those in the know are asking are the cutthroats in the river yet? The answer in not in numbers so there are cutthroats throughout the river system. I’m observing a few cutthroats in the deep holes. The concentration of trophy cutthroats are usually in the river around the 10th of May. Fishing nymphs and streamers in the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks is how to fool the trophy cutthroat. Key to success in nymphing is to have enough weight to get the flies rolling on the substrate and thoroughly cover the water you are fly fishing. The key to fishing with streamers is to cover a lot of water and only strip the fly upstream through the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks a couple of times. If you do not get a hit with your streamer move on to the next trophy trout holding spot on the river. For the nymphs use size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 14 copper John’s and a size 12 Richard’s variation of a gold ribbed hare’s ear. Fish size 6 and 10 olive wooly bugger, black wooly bugger, olive matuka, olive slumpbuster, muddle minnow and Hornberg’s for the streamer patterns.
The general trout season started on Saturday April 25th, 2026 and anglers are taking advantage of fishing Bishop Creek Canal for stocked rainbow trout.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
Bishop Creek Canal got stocked the day before the Eastern Sierra annual trout opener. These fish continue to offer fly fishers the opportunity to catch some nice sized rainbow trout on flies. The stockers are schooled up and when you find a school just keep working it. Using a drag free drift with size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 12 stoner nymphs, size 16 rainbow warriors, size 16 Duracell’s, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 green/gold brassie and size 18 thread midges in zebra and tiger coloration is fooling the trout. The stockers are supper aggressive and stripping a streamer through the schools will get grabbed. Use size 10 wooly buggers, size 10 matukas and size 10 slumpbusters.