Eastern Sierra Fishing Opener Outlook

It’s time to get back out on the rivers and lakes of the Eastern Sierra.

We’re just a week out from opening day—Saturday, April 25—and it’s always one of the best times of year to be up here. Whether you’ve been fishing all winter or you’re just dusting off the rods, this is when everything starts to come back to life.

We’ve had a couple of storms roll through this past week, with another on the way, which is great news. That extra snow is going to help our late-season snowpack and keep things looking good as runoff gets going. As of now, the weather for opener week is shaping up really nice—should be a great excuse to get out on the water.

The Eastern Sierra waters are starting to wake up. Flows are coming up, water temps are climbing, and the fish are getting active. They’re not overly picky this time of year either, which makes for some fun fishing. You can expect to see hatches of blue-winged olives, midges, and the occasional caddis. If things line up, you might even find a few fish looking up. One of the best parts about this time of year is that on many of our waterways, the fish haven’t seen a fly since last November.

As far as my schedule, I’ll be running trips through the end of May around Mammoth and Bridgeport, as well as at Pyramid Lake. After that, I’ll be back out at Pyramid for June. Then July through the end of September, I’ll be back in Mammoth guiding Crowley and our other local waters. Our Team of guides will be running trips in the sierras all season, so even if im not around I can set you up for a great day on the water.

The fisheries you should keep on your radar for the early season are Crowley Lake, East Walker River, West Walker River, Upper Owens, and, if you want to travel a bit farther, the East Carson River.

This season is shaping up to be a really good one. Between the snowpack and how things are already looking, we should have healthy flows, cold water, and strong fish for a while.

If you’ve been thinking about getting a trip on the books, now’s a good time. Early season is hard to beat, and it doesn’t last long. Whether you’re looking to learn a few things or just get out and have a solid day on the water,

I’d be happy to get you out there.

Hope to see you out there this spring.

Book Trip