Eastern Sierra update as of April 27

[FishSlayer]

From Turner's Outdoorsman newsletter...

EASTERN SIERRA
This Saturday all waters in the Eastern Sierra reopen after being closed since November.
Over 30,000 anglers are expected
to spread themselves from Lone Pine to Bridgeport for a shot a a big brown,
a sleek cutthroat, or a spawning-colored rainbow trout. In the Bishop
region, most anglers will converge on Bishop Creek and Intake II. Last
season Intake II was closed and drained for dredging, so to kick off this
season the small lake has been primed with 6,500 pounds of Alpers rainbow
trout to 10-0 and the DFG trout to 5-0. North of Bishop, Lake Crowley is
expected to draw about 10,000 anglers and most will leave with limits. Lake
Crowley was stocked with over 300,000 fingerling and sub-catchable rainbow
and cutthroat trout last summer. All those trout that were four to six
inches long last summer now weigh between 1-0 and 2-0. Holdover rainbows
from last season will be in the 2-8 to 4-0 range with some bigger fish
likely to show -- both rainbows and a few browns. Dedicated anglers looking
for the brown trout of a lifetime will be trolling Lower Twin Lake in
Bridgeport with big rainbow trout-colored Rapalas or A.C. Plugs hoping to
entice a big brown feeding on fresh-stocked rainbows or kokanees.


GENERAL INFO:

BRIDGEPORT AREA: Bridgeport Reservoir and Lower Twin Lake are ice free
and Upper Twin Lake is 90-percent ice-free and could be completely ice-free
by Saturday. The West Fork of the Walker River is prime for the opener and
the East Walker is fishable with flows at 246 cfs. For more information
contact Ken's Sporting Goods at (760) 932-7707.

JUNE LAKE LOOP: Grant and June Lake have lots of floating, rotting ice
but boat launching will be allowed. June Lake is open from Big Rock Marina
all the way down to the big cove. Silver Lake and Gull Lake are both ice
free around the shore lines but both have big sheets of heavy ice floating
at mid-lake. For more information contact, Ernie's Fishing Tackle at (760)
648-7756 or June Lake Marina at (760) 648-7726.

MAMMOTH LAKES AREA: Lake Crowley has been ice free for about two weeks
and this lake will be the top destination of the Sierra opener. There are
about 10,000 anglers expected to ply the waters for a limit of rainbow,
cutthroat, or brown trout. Convict Lake has some ice but it may still be ice
free by Saturday. Shoreline ice is gone but there are still big, floating
pieces blowing across the lake. The Mammoth Lakes are all still iced over
and the road only is graded as far as Twin Lakes, which has just a hint of
open water on exposed shorelines. For more information contact the
Troutfitter at (760) 934-2517 or Rick Gunby's Guide Service at (760)
937-1001

BISHOP AREA: Most lakes in the Bishop Creek drainage are frozen and
expected to stay that way well past the opener. In fact, only Intake II and
Bishop Creek are expected to be ice-free. Last season Intake II was closed
and drained again for dredging. To kick off this season, the waters will be
primed with 6,500 pounds of Alpers rainbow trout to 10-0 and the DFG will
plant trout to 5-0. The Owens River near Bishop is fair with a few scattered
catches of trout reported from deeper pools on Power Bait or nightcrawlers.
Fishing at Pleasant Valley Reservoir has been fair with fish to 3-0 showing
on inflated nightcrawlers, Thomas Buoyants, or Power Bait. For more
information, contact Culver's at (760) 872-8361, Brock's at (760) 872-3581,
or Sierra Drifters Guide Service at (760) 935-4250, Rick Gunby's Guide
Service at (760) 937-1001 or contact Creekside R.V. Park at (760) 873-4483.

BIG PINE TO INDEPENDENCE AREA: Trout to 1-0 continue to show in fair
numbers form easily accessed areas along Cottonwood Creek, Georges Creek,
Independence Creek, Lone Pine Creek, Shepards Creek, Symmes Creek, and
Tuttle Creek.

LONE PINE AREA: Trout action is fair on Lone Pine Creek at the sand
trap, with lots of DFG trout to 1-0 showing on mini-jigs. For more
information, contact the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce at (760) 876-4444.

[PlatinumHooks]

Thank ya sir!

[diink]

I have been going up to Robinson Creek Campground for 15 years and just got back from the annual trip with the guys the other day. With water levels up a little the fish were hanging out in some new spots but we had no problem finding them. Easily caught our limit everyday. We were catching above average pan size stockers in the streams running from the bridge that is just below the Lower Twin all the way down to Doc and Al's.
Paha and Robinson Creek campgrounds are two best places to pitch a tent.

Nightcrawlers & salmon egg's worked great for me. The other guys used the regular menu so it didnt matter what we were throwin' out there......as long as it was on a small hook it worked. And what a blast catching (and releasing) with a rooster-tail spinner.....watching them chase it and BAM......fish on!

Good Luck!

[Eric]

Diink thanks for the report. I've always enjoyed camping at Robinson creek over the years.. Was the camp ground full? Did you get a chance to fish the lake?
Eric

[PlatinumHooks]

Originally Posted by diink

I have been going up to Robinson Creek Campground for 15 years and just got back from the annual trip with the guys the other day. With water levels up a little the fish were hanging out in some new spots but we had no problem finding them. Easily caught our limit everyday. We were catching above average pan size stockers in the streams running from the bridge that is just below the Lower Twin all the way down to Doc and Al's.
Paha and Robinson Creek campgrounds are two best places to pitch a tent.

Nightcrawlers & salmon egg's worked great for me. The other guys used the regular menu so it didnt matter what we were throwin' out there......as long as it was on a small hook it worked. And what a blast catching (and releasing) with a rooster-tail spinner.....watching them chase it and BAM......fish on!

Good Luck!

DIINK,

Roostertails are one of my favorite lures in the whole world! Love using them in the High Sierras. Do you have any pictures from this past trip?

[diink]

Originally Posted by Eric

Was the camp ground full? Did you get a chance to fish the lake?
Eric

Paha campground was about 1/4 full and Robinson Creek was less than that once they opened up both sides of the campgrounds. We have never had a problem getting a spot and have gone up anywhere from the first week of May to the third week of May. One of the things that keeps me coming back every year is there is hardly anyone there. It might be we just miss the weekend crowd since we always arrive in camp on Monday and pull out Friday?

I have heard that it gets packed with no spots available in the summer. I like the quiet so I will tolerate the cold weather when it rolls thru in those early weeks of May. As you know the weather can be different from one day to the next. Like I said it was snowing on Monday with high winds and Tuesday was short sleeve temp and by thursday I was wearing waist high waders and stood in the stream all day with just my vest on.

I was having so much fun fishing right there in camp and in the campsite above (Paha) that we never needed to go anywheres else.

[diink]

Originally Posted by Tony"PltnmHooks"Z.

DIINK,

Roostertails are one of my favorite lures in the whole world! Love using them in the High Sierras. Do you have any pictures from this past trip?

Yeah I do.....I will post a couple when I can get a couple minutes to figure it out how.

[PlatinumHooks]

Originally Posted by diink

Yeah I do.....I will post a couple when I can get a couple minutes to figure it out how.

Thanks! Your trip sounded awesome, I'm cravin' a trip like that right about now.

[diink]

Sorry for the wait........life got in the way........

[PlatinumHooks]

Originally Posted by diink

Sorry for the wait........life got in the way........

Good pict Diink. Thanks for rememberin'

[diink]

[diink]

[cst]

pics were worth the wait such a beautiful place.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by diink

Those r sure some nice pics Diink

Eric

[PlatinumHooks]

Originally Posted by diink

Diink,

This one's magazine cover material!!!! Great pict.