Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 2.24.23

February 24, 2023
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The Lower Owens River fly fishing report is not exactly quite what it was at this time last year. Fishing was just starting to heat up just a few days ago, then a quick storm system decided to swoop down and turn us into a world of white here in Bishop. The Eastern Sierra is getting pounded with snow and wind as we speak.

Even though the LADWP gauge shows over 3000 cfs of river flow, the actual number is much lower than this. Although still a good flow the river was very recently turned up to the high 200’s in flow pushing the total volume up in the wild trout section to an estimated 275 cfs up in the wild trout section of the river. At these flows the Lower Owens River is still a very fishy place and wading is still very possible when correct entrance and crossing points are accessed.

The wild trout of the LO prefer these flows as the volume of food that flows down compared to a lower river volume is much higher. This current volume also provides the fish with many different types and options of comfortable holding water. This spreads their population out more while letting them relax a little as all the trout are not now only found in the largest and deepest holes of the river.

At these lower temperatures we see mostly Midge and Mayfly aquatic insects on the move during the winter periods of the Lower Owens River. Indicator nymph rigs and euro style nymph rigs are both very effective in this current state of the river. Water clarity is 90%, flashier patterns and a small direct representation of a midge or mayfly function well as a combination. We recommend 4 and 5x leader and tippet which works well most of the time on the LO. Both of these techniques work well when you are fishing a Euro or Indicator setup. A small amount of dry fly action was happening before today hit. Midges and Baetis patterns were being consumed on the surface in slower running sections of the river. Sometime in the middle part of next week we look for surface activity to resume. Stay tuned for more to come as this amazing year rolls out in front of us

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Call or text the STM Fly Shop in Bishop, CA for more information or to book a guided trip 760.873.0010 or text 661.364.6981 for more details.

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fishing owens river bishop

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 2.7.23

February 7, 2023
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The Lower Owens patiently flows right outside of Bishop, California with an abundance of bends, runs, riffles and drop offs, this river is the jewel of the Eastern Sierra for fly anglers and photographers alike. Water temps are roughly between 39-42 degrees depending of time of day and location tested. Flows have bumped since the last storms up to around 130cfs of cool sierra water even though the LADWP guage shows 3000+cfs. The colder, long period of weather has made it a little tougher to get out there and have those double-digit days. But the lovely picturesque trout of the Lower Owens can still be caught by the diligent and patient angler. Small pods of rising fish are noted throughout the system, eating midges and small beatis, these fish have been appearing without rhyme or reason in any section of the river. The only answer to this is to be out there on the banks of the river mid-day while keeping keeping an eye out for slower moving foam lined water. Smaller nymphs have been doing the trick, not too small as some people believe, sizes of flies in the #16 -20 range are as small as we need to go. Caddis on the bigger side and baetis and midges smaller. Some slightly warmer weather will definitely move some fish around and stir up the bug life as well as the appetites of the resident trout of the Lower Owens River.

Call the STM Fly Shop in Bishop CA at 760.873.0010 or text 661.364.6981 for more details or to book a guided tour.

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Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Mammoth Lake California

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 1.8.23

January 8, 2023
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The Upper Owens flows through Long Valley caldera right below the famous resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California. This time of year it can show those anglers that are so fortunate to arrive on her snowy banks the fly fishing experience of a lifetime! To make a long story short, a number of storms have hit the Long Valley and Upper Owens areas the last couple of weeks, with the storms happening it gives the big trout a signal to head up the Upper Owens up and out of Crowley Lake. This makes the snowy journey for the angler arriving to the Upper Owens more worthwhile than the previous month, thus making a great start to the fishing season of 2023! The only downside to this is the amount of snow can make access a bit tricky. Access is limited to snow shoes and snowmobiles, or the angler that is willing to post-hole his way up the river in the deep snow. Of course, these fish come up to spawn future generations of our beloved creatures so we make sure not to ever cast to any fish that are obviously sitting over a spawning red in shallow water. Find your quarry in the deepest and darkest parts of the river system, these are the ones that are fair game and ready to eat a fly! Below the bridge is closed, so make sure you head upstream with the proper flies to have success on the Upper O. Give us a call as we have the means to get you upstream to show the experience of a lifetime on this unique fishery. As long as not too much snow falls!

Give us a call at our Bishop Fly Shop location at 760-873-0010 or text 661-364-6981 for more details or to book fly fishing adventure. We can accommodate small groups or personal fly fishing adventures. Give us a call!

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large brown trout held above the water of the Upper Owens.

Lower Owens Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 12.14.22

December 14, 2022
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Bishops dream stream, the Lower Owens River continues to be the go-to river for the traditional fly fisherman here in the Eastern Sierra of Californa. Continuing to flow at its low winter rate of around 80-90 cubic feet per second the Lower Owens water is very clear and at its most accessible point of the year which makes it very easy to enter and wade. Water temperatures are around 40 degrees and fish are feeding well! The Mayfly hatch continues to happen more or less around noon causing extreme elation to the dedicated fly fisherman. This hatch of BWO insects can vary depending on the weather that each day presents. The hatch can prompt trout of the Lower Owens to rise throughout the entire river or only in certain bends or slow foam lines. River access is good and the banks of the river have dried up nicely after the rain this past weekend. Crowds have been minimal and upon choosing the right spots we have the river to ourselves most days. Nymphing correctly with or without and indicator (euro style) can be very successful when time is allocated properly in the correct parts of the Lower Owens River. Mayflies and Midges seem to be the majority of whats on the feed list for the wild fish of the Lower O. Fish these patterns in nymph form before the hatch and switch over when you see trout breaking the surface for the adult mayflies. Sizes #14 -#18 will cover most situation for both the mayflies and midges at this time.

Call the STM Fly Shop in Bishop, California at 760-873-0010 or text 661-364-6981 to book a guided tour or for more information

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Bishop fly fishing

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 11.28.22

November 28, 2022
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The legendary Lower Owens River, just a stones throw outside of Bishop, California, is at the lowest flows of the year. Right now the LADWP gauge is screwed up, the flow is actually right around 80cfs of crystal clear flowing water. Pressure has been minimal, and the river is full of willing and wild trout that love to take well presented fly patterns. Wading is at its easiest point and the entire river is accessible to the inquisitive angler. Nothing more than finding a place to enter the riverbed and explore is required to put yourself over some amazing fishing areas. Around high noon a good hatch of mayflies comes off to put a lot of trout on the surface actively eating these bugs. Bring a different rod to be used as a dry fly rod or be ready to strip off the nymphs and change over when this event starts. Some large trout of the Lower Owens have been popping their noses up to take advantage of this floating protein. Euro nymphing, tenkara, and good old indicator nymphing have all been very successful recently. Mayfly Nymphs, and Midge larvae have been our man patterns of success recently. Peridons in #14-18 and different types of midge larvae in #16-20 have been proven to be some of the most successful patterns recently.

upper owens river below mammoth lakes carves though a snow covered meadow with mountians in the background.

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes, CA – 11.28.22

November 28, 2022
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Just a few steps down the mountain from Mammoth Lakes, California, the Upper Owens River has reached its yearly apex as the trophy trout from Crowley Lake make their way upstream. Spending energy in order to throw a broadcast spawn to the fittest female trout around and continue their legacies. Water is low and clear at 80cfs give or take a few. Fish have been migrating into the Upper Owens since early October this year. Without any more major storms to bump up the flows the water remains clear and low. This, of course, makes it very difficult to find and effectively fish to these big bad dudes without them sensing your presence. Pressure can be good or bad on any given day, lots of people are stopping to fish around the bridge so make a decision from there. Access is limited to a snowy wonderland as some are taking snowmobiles in, some drive in a short way and then walk. Although there is some dry fly action on the Upper Owens it will usually limit you to the smaller fish in the river. Nymphs and streamers will get you down to offer something worthwhile to these jumbo sized trout. Various attractor, and more natural nymph and streamer patterns placed correctly by the cautious angler can result in the trout of the year! Stay tuned for more updated details as more storms are forecasted later in the week which could turn conditions in a different direction.

young man holds a fish above the Lower Owens water near Bishop california

Lower Owens Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 9.22.22

September 22, 2022
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The wild trout waters of the Lower Owens River have seen its water levels fluctuating up and down recently. Flowing at a very fishy flow of 155cfs with cooler nights, dropping water temperatures, and lots of bug activity, the local Bishop, California stream is fishing consistently well. Caddis are noted over the water with random hatches of Baetis floating in the air above the river. Small rises can be seen throughout the river system throughout the day. These are mostly random attacks on the recently hatched bugs and no real rhyme or reason to their methods. A dry fly purist can have some success if he sticks the fly in likely spots throughout the day, and stays attentive to the trouts behavior. Euro nymphing and good old indicator nymphing methods take most of the fish right now on the Lower Owens River. Peridons, pheasant tail nymphs, caddis emergers and caddis worms, various soft hackles, frenchies, and various midge larvae imitations are taking fish right now. Fish these in sizes #14-#18. For dry flies we can fish patterns similar to; Elk Hair Caddis, Stallcup Caddis, Para Adams, Purple Haze, Beetles, Ants, and other similar atrractors can be worth a toss out. Streamers? Always worth a try! Fishing is definitely picking upon the Lower Owens River, right outside of Bishop, California.

large rainbow trout in the water headshot below mammoth lakes ca on upper owens

Upper Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Mammoth Lakes Fishing Report – 9.18.22

September 18, 2022
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The Upper Owens, right below the outdoor paradise of Mammoth Lakes, CA, has had a challenging time this last summer with the low flow rate and extremely hot weather it has experienced the last few weeks. The hoppers really never happened as in years past, and not as many large fish remained in the system throughout the summer months. Only now, with the cooler temperatures arriving, with storms on the way are we looking up to the Upper Owens river to see what surprises will appear in her deepest holes on their way up from Crowley Lake. We have seen the giants of Crowely Lake arrive as soon as late September and as late as mid-November into December. Whatever the case the Upper Owens still remains one of the most unique and picturesque settings a fly angler can visit. Stay tuned for an update here as we will be on top of the Upper Owens Situation as the fall season rolls on prompting the large fish of Crowley to swim upstream.

two girls hold up a large rainbow trout on the lower owens river in summertime

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 7.2.22

July 2, 2022
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The Lower Owens, running strongly just outside of Bishop, has been pumped up to a very healthy flow of around 220cfs of cool sierra water. Clarity is slightly tea colored and perfect to give the wild trout and angler a little bit of extra cover from each other. Caddis, Yellow Sallies and Mayflies can be seen on certain days making for an exciting top-water experience. Wading, is a bit more difficult but easily doable when making the proper decisions while in the water . Nymphing has been the game early with the hope of some top-water action tempting us every day. Flashy patterns under the water have been attracting the fish to our hooks in these light runoff flow rates. Fish the flies I mentioned on top in their nymph and larvae forms under the water for success here. The Lower Owens River is a wild river consisting mostly of a variety of wild and savage fish in sizes ranging from 6″ – 18″. Down below town where the river becomes a bit more silty stocked trout are dumped in. Streamers are also getting some good attention when fished correctly. Do not try a sinking line in this small river to fish streamers appropriately, we use a long leader with a weighted streamer to fish across the various currents of the Lower Owens. Peridons, Stoneflies, and Mayfly patters both wet and dry are taking fish everyday out on the Lower Owens River.

Call the STM Fly Shop in Bishop, California, for more details or to book a guided tour. 760-873-0010

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wild brown trout is held up in front of an agler on the Lower Owens River outside of Bishop, CA

Lower Owens River Fly Fishing Report : Bishop, CA – 5.12.22

May 12, 2022
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The Lower Owens River, just outside of Bishop, California is flowing at a healthy rate of around 175 cubic feet a second of wadable river as of May 12. This is a much needed flow rate of water that brings vital food and life to the wild brown and bainbow coloured residents of the Lower Owens river system. Hatches of Mayflies and Caddis have been happening sporadically throughout the last month, basically following the waves of cold and hot weather the Eastern Sierras have been experiencing. Out when its warm, and down as the cooler weather hits. Right now we are coming out of a nice cold spell and looking forward to the warmer weather forecasted this weekend. Nymphs and streamers have been taking fish everyday while the hatches are held up during the colder and windy weather. Peridons, Jig flies, Midges, and the like have been taking fish consistently. Fish these patterns in sizes #14-20. Come in to the shop to see some of the patterns we tie up and use locally. As the warmer weather rolls in we expect to see topwater action with; Stoneflies, Caddis, and Mayflies.

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