Species:
We will be targeting trout almost exclusively.
There are rainbows, browns and Lahontan cutthroat in most of the waters we'll be fishing.
There are certain times of the year when we can catch very large carp and bass but there is usually only a small window of opportunity.
Season:
Crowley Lake Stillwater boat trips - May 1st-October 30th.
The Owens River is open Spring though Fall.
Hot Creek remains open year-round.
Region/Terrain:
The mountains of the Eastern Sierra are all encompassing. Regardless of where we're fishing there are mountain views to be had. This area is otherwise known as a "high desert" and gets most of its precipitation in the form of snow during the winter months. The summer months are warm and very dry for the most part.
The Upper Owens River is a unique river. It starts as a small freestone creek feeding into a spring which meets up with a pipeline from Grant Lake. It then flows through a large meadow at the base of the glass mountains ending at Crowley Lake and is about a 20-minute drive from the town of Mammoth Lakes.
Crowley Lake sits at the bottom of Long Valley at 7000ft, at the start of the Owens Gorge. Crowley is 5300 acres and is about a 15 minute drive from the town of Mammoth Lakes.
The Lower Owens River starts below Pleasant Valley Reservoir and is about 3000ft lower in elevation making it a great place to fish during the winter months. It, too, winds through a large meadow and is about a 40-minute drive from Mammoth an about 15 minutes from Bishop.
Typical Weather:
The mountains make their own weather here, so it can be a real mixed bag depending on the time of year. There is no "typical" weather.
Summers here are hot during the day with temps in the 80s, and 50s at night. It's mostly dry but on occasion there can be large thunderstorms that can put on quite a show in the afternoons.
During the winter, it can be very cold and wet, but as we drop in altitude the temperatures are considerably warmer with daytime temperatures reaching into the upper 50s on some days.
Spring and fall can be wet and are very unpredictable. It can be winter one day, and summer the next. It can snow one day, and then be downright hot the next day.