FISHING REPORT

Updated - 9/10/26

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about Lodging,​Maps and up to the minute Stream Flows.​​​

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SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR CALIFORNIA WATERS

Water Conditions: 

Water conditions are normal for the time of the year. 

Crowley Lake Surface Elevation Click Here:

Crowley Lake Webcam:

Fishing Report & Conditions-Good: 

Otis at the Trout Fitter Fly Shop in  Mammoth Lakes reports: "

Good news for float tubers, the Whitmore road that provides access from McGee bay all the way to Green Banks is now open!!

The latest latest

The latest good news: Fishing is definitely picking up and the perch fry are now big enough for the trout to start keying on them, especially mid day. The midge hatches are improving but the Callbaetis hatches are fading with the Damsel hatches nearing their end. Don’t get stuck in a rut, try lots of different bugs until you find the hot one and when it slows down start experimenting again. Not only with the patterns but don’t be afraid to try them at different levels.

AND WE’RE SEEING BIGGER MIDGES AGAIN!

With the surface temperatures getting up into the mid to upper 70’s most of the algae has died and sunk leaving the lake much cleaner but we’re probably going to see another algae bloom in the near future. The other good news, the perch fry are here and they’re getting big enough for the fish to start keying on them. 

The best fishing is still around the stream mouths in 6-12 feet but with the water temperatures coming down I would expect the fish will start spreading out.

I’m leaving

 I am not a biologist, I would love to hear from someone/s but in over 36 years of guiding the lake this is the strangest I’ve seen yet. Outside of the enormous numbers of size 32 midges (take a pencil and press the tip against a piece of paper, that’s about the size of them), we are seeing almost no other midges and stomach samples bear that out. DF&G has said that the Daphnia is what makes for the growth of the trout but the midges are the foundation and we’re not seeing them. There are still lot’s of Calibaetis and Damsels coming off but that’s only a couple of hours a day that they are available. One of the weirdest things we’re seeing in the stomach samples is clumps of dead algae laced with leeches, anywhere from an eighth of an inch to two inches. It appears that the fish are grabbing chunks of dead algae off the bottom and then filtering through it to collect the leeches and snails. To go along with this we’re getting good reports from people using small Marabou Leech patterns both stripped and under an indicator. If you are stripping it, be aware almost all of the grabs will be on the drop and will feel like a rubbing sensation on your finger. .BUT, the perch fry are here! And they’re big enough to be keyed on. Well, they’re starting to key on the perch so if you’re stripping a perch on top- leech on the bottom isn’t a bad idea. Also, if you get a “piano” strike ( somebody dropping a piano on the end of your line) but you don’t hook them, stop your retrieve, give it a little slack and if the line tightens SET! The fish will go through the fish slashing and then turn around to pick up the cripples.

One of the big problems is that the Daphnia population is exploding and it’s very hard to figure out where they are at.  One of the hints is if you see a lot of the fish suspended there’s a good chance they’re eating Daphnia. Also if you can find an area where there are larger midges #14-18 instead of the millions of #32-36

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