Eastern Sierra Fishing

The main tributary of the Eastern Sierra, the Owens River flows into Crowley Lake, Pleasant Valley Reservoir and down the Owens Valley to Independence. The Owens flows through high mountain valleys to desert valleys below Independence. A Wild Trout section located between Pleasant Valley and Laws provides prime fly fishing and is a catch-and-release area. Brown Trout are plentiful in the Owens. A prime spot is located at Crowley Lake near Benton Crossing near the north end of the lake. Rainbow Trout are stocked in the river from Laws to Big Pine.

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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 creek receives plantings from the DFG at the Southern California Edison power plant bridge and near the Silver Lake campground. The most popular stretch of the stream is between Silver Lake and Grant Lake. The stream provides a number of nice spots, sheltered by Aspen trees, and located near submerged boulders and trees. These areas hold a lot of fish. Use spinning lures cast upstream and then retrieved at a fast clip. Floating bait produces well. Use a spit-shot sinker about a foot above the bait and then let it float downstream. Salmon Eggs, Power Bait and nightcrawlers all produce.

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