Eastern Sierra Fishing

Crowley Lake becomes a parking lot on opening day, and it is often said you can walk boat-to-boat! However, this is a large man-made lake and holds a large number of Wild Rainbows, Browns and Sacramento Perch. Alligator Point, Sand Point and Hilton Bay provide some of the best action on Crowley. Flies and lures work best here, and in fact from August 1 through October 31st fishermen can only use barbless lures or flies and can only keep two fish. The Perch go for bright-colored feathery jigs presented with a lot of movement. Crowley Lake is located 35 miles north of Bishop on Hwy 395. A full-service marina and store are available. Boats are common, but float tubes also work well, especially near the north end of the lake.

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Located 5 miles north of Bishop off of Hwy 395, Pleasant Valley offers year-round fishing. Rainbows, stocked by the DFG, are plentiful, as are perch, bluegill and bass.

photo credit: lexdennphotos

Brown Trout will swim along the banks at night giving anglers a good shot at catching a record-sized fish. Boats are not allowed at Pleasant Valley. Fishing off the dam provides the best hope of catching a trout, with lures doing the best job.

This is one of the few Eastern Sierra lakes that has smallmouth bass, catfish and bluegill. A yearly fishing derby is held here each year with the opening of trout season. At an elevation of 4,200-feet, Inyo County has a campground with 200 RV or tent sites, piped water, and restrooms.

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Big Pine Creek and Baker Creek provide angler’s with good stream fishing. Rainbow’s are regularly stocked in both creeks, plus hand-fed trout from the Big Pine Trout Farm are stocked unannounced in Big Pine Creek each summer. Each of these fishing areas can be reached by heading west from Big Pine. Campgrounds are available.

The areas around the upper campgrounds are planted on a weekly basis during the summer months. Baker Creek is planted in the campground area, while Big Pine Creek is planted from Sage Flat Campgrounds to Glacier Lodge.

The best areas are from Glacier Lodge to the bridge just outside Big Pine. Best baits are salmon eggs and small spinners with squirrel tail. Flies,lures, nightcrawlers and floating baits also work well. Supplies, bait and tackle, are available in Big Pine or Glacier Lodge. This is a very scenic area and well worth the drive.

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The first lake on the June Lake Loop, June is a deep glacier fed lake that provides boaters with many opportunities to catch a Rainbow, Brown or Brook trout.

Cutthroat trout also can be found in the lake. In addition, the lake receives regular stocking from Alper’s Ranch. The best places for fishing from shore include along the highway near Boulder Lodge, the beach area at the east end of the lake, and near the reeds located on the west end of the lake.

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