It’s October and we’re half way through my favorite month Sep-Oct, the 15th of September through the 15th of October. Fall colors are peaking at 9,000 foot elevation at waters like North Lake and Rock Creek Lake. Brook trout and brown trout are spawning at upper elevations. Nothing prettier to catch in the fall than a brook trout in spawning colors. Trophy trout are leaving the lakes to enter the streams to spawn. Midges, mayflies and caddis are feeding the trout on the substrate and on the surface. Weather is unpredictable and fly fishers should carry layers to add when it’s cold and layers to peel off when it warms up.
Fall is brown trout from six inchers taking dry flies to trophy brown trout taking nymphs and streamers.
Upper Owens River
Above Benton Crossing Bridge:
Trophy trout are migrating out of Crowley and up into the river. These are primarily rainbow trout. The brown trout are a wild run and trickle into the river a few fish at a time over a six to eight week period. Work the deep holes, deep runs and cut banks with nymphs and streamers hoping for a brown trout, but be happy with a rainbow. Work the water thoroughly before moving on to the next deep hole, deep run or cut bank looking for that trophy trout. Nymphs for trophy trout are size 12 stoner nymphs, size 12 green/gold Prince nymphs, size 12 Richard’s variation of a gold ribbed hares ear, size 14 copper John’s, and size 14 Duracell nymphs. Streamer for trophy trout are size 6 sclupzilla and size 6 and 10 slumpbusters, matukas and wooly buggers. Trico’s and blue wing olive mayflies are hatching in the mornings and the juvenile trout are feeding on the hatching duns on the surface. Use size 16 Adams parachutes, size 18 blue wing olive parachutes and size 18 olive sparkle duns. Afternoon ovipositing caddis are being feed on by the juvenile trout. Use a size 16 or 18 elk caddis in the afternoons and skitter it across the surface.
Afternoon winds and bad casts mean time to untangle you bird’s nest or time for a rerig.
Hot Creek
Interpretive Site:
When the insects don’t hatch the trout do not come to the surface and fly fishing with dry flies is slow. The trico hatch is coming to an end and the blue wing olive hatch is just starting. Start the morning off with fishing a size 22 female trico parachute. As the hatch goes on the trout will switch from feeding on the trico duns to feeding on the spinners that fall dead on the water and offer an easy meal for the trout. For the trico spinner fall fish with a size 22 trico spinner pattern. As the trico hatch ends for the morning look for bigger mayflies on the water and switch to a size 20 blue wing olive parachute, size 20 olive sparkle dun and size 20 Adams parachutes. Nymphing with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 18 olive quilldigons, size 18 tiger midges and size 18 zebra midges will produce a few trout when the hatches are not prolific.
Fly fishers have their favorite spots on Hot Creek and the pools directly above Hot Creek Ranch are a favorite of a lot of Hot Creek fly fishers.
Hot Creek
Canyon Section:
It’s not cold enough for the weed beds to start breaking up and it’s still tough to nymph fish in the Canyon Section of Hot Creek. Prolific hatches of mayflies and caddis are what bring the trout to the surface. Right now it’s in between the trico hatch and the blue wing olive hatch. Fish dries for an hour or two and then leave the river in search of another place to fly fish. Start the morning off fishing a size 22 female trico dun parachute, a size 22 trico spinner pattern, a size 20 gray parachute caddis, a size 20 blue wing olive parachute, size 20 olive sparkle dun and size 20 Adams parachutes. Dry fly fishing is tough right now and it’s impossible to fish nymphs in the weeds.
The key to successful fly fishing in the Owens River Gorge is access from the banks or wading up stream in the river bed.
Owens River Gorge:
Access to the Owens River Gorge opened back up on Friday September 25th, 2026. You can see the results of the flushing flows as there are log jams, debris piled on rocks and stream side vegetation is laid down. A dry and dropper is still producing lots of wild six to 12 inch brown trout. For the dry fly use a size 14 stimulator, size 16 Adams parachute and size 16 elk hair caddis. For the nymphs use a size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ear, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymph, size 16 green/gold brassie, size 16 tiger midge and size 16 zebra midge. Using waders allows the fly fisher to wade upstream and fly fish sections of the river unfishable from the banks. I prefer packing my waders in and out of the gorge. Be aware of stinging nettles, rattle snakes and heat (carry lots of water).
When water flows get below 300 CFS, fly fishers will be able to access areas of the river that can only be accessed by wading into the sections lined with willows and tulles.
Lower Owens River
Wild Trout Section:
We’re into October and it looks like the flows on the lower Owens River are coming down. As I’m writing this the flows are down to 380 CFS. The flow need to get below 300 CFS to safely wade the lower Owens River. Watch the flows on the Sierra Bright Dot webpage at: https://www.sierrabrightdot.com/water-flows-owens-river-east-walker-river. Once the river is wadable nymph under an indicator or with a Euro rig. Use size 18 olive quilldigons, size 16 bead head flash back gold ribbed hare’s ears, size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 14 Duracell nymphs and size 16 rainbow warriors. Now is a great time to be fishing early and late in the day with streamers for 14 to 18 inch wild brown and rainbow trout. Fish with size 10 slumpbusters, wooly buggers and matukas.
Bishop Creek Canal is a great spot to learn and practice on the water casts like a roll cast.
Bishop Creek Canal
Behind Bishop Veterinary Hospital:
The morning trico hatch is coming to an end. The hatch starts around 8:00 A.M. and is over by 9:30. Start fishing the trico hatch with a size 20 female trico dun parachute. Then switch to a size 20 trico spinner pattern. Afternoon winds are perfect for throwing hopper imitations like a size 12 tan parachute hopper, size 12 tan stimulator and a size 12 tan Chernobyl ant pattern.
Bishop Creek in the fall is brook trout and the yellow and golden hues of the leaves.
Bishop Creek Canyon
South Fork:
Fall colors are peaking and now is the time to be in Bishop Creek Canyon fly fishing. Fishing Weir Pond and North Lake is the perfect spot to fish a dry and dropper and enjoy the fall colors. Fall colors and spawning brook trout is what fall is all about. For the dry fly use a size 16 Adams parachute, size 14 stimulator and size 16 elk hair caddis. For the nymphs fish with size 18 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs, size 16 tiger midges, size 16 zebra midges, size 16 bead head flash back pheasant tail nymphs and size 16 green/gold brassie.