Fish & Trail Report
Bishop Creek Canyon
Fish & Trail Report
7-14-21
--Trail Conditions--
Another spectacular week of hiking in the BCC this week although the t-storms came back around which made for some wet afternoons in the high country. On the bright side, it took the edge off of the heat wave. At our altitude a heat wave means 80 degrees, but nonetheless, the cloud cover was refreshing. Even with the wild weather there was plenty of time for day hikes for those that got an early start and hopefully the backpackers and thru-hikers were prepared for the conditions. There’s something special about the smell of the forest and the drama of a downpour of rain or hail in the afternoon and the crackling of thunder echoing through the canyon that we love.
Trail access is great, a little too great actually. If it wasn’t for the wildflower bloom popping off right now, the conditions are more indicative of late-August than mid-July.
The bears are still in the neighborhood but we had a few less visits this week. Word to the wise, properly stow your food, those cute furry critters can make a big mess if you don’t….and that’s as bad or worse for them than it is for us. Be bear aware y’all.
A quick reminder to overnight folks to please adhere to posted parking signs so there is enough room for day hikers and anglers.
--Fish Report--
--Bishop Creek--
The flows in the Middle and South Forks of Bishop Creek are still great. Some creeks on the Eastside are starting to run very low due to the drought conditions, but that isn’t the case at all in the BCC since both of the main forks are reservoir controlled. We may be unlucky with the lake level at the moment but Bishop Creek is perfect.
Fly anglers are still catching tons of smaller model wild Browns and Brookies on drys and nymphs. For the bait folks, salmon eggs have been the best for the stocker Rainbows. Fishing was quite good overall and those Idaho fish made a big difference. More are on the way!
--Lake Sabrina--
Our guests have had mostly good luck over at Sabrina, primarily on bait or jigs by the inlets. They still have enough water for boats and kayaks so give them a call to reserve one.
---Weir Pond—
Same as last week…lots of little wild trout falling for the fly. Black ants, caddis, adams, and nymphs are all working. The Idaho rainbows are in there but no reports yet about what they’re eating.
--Intake 2—
Decent bite on smaller model stockers and with easy shore access, this has been the best bet for shore fisherman or float tubers. The usual baits (Powerbait, Crawlers etc.) seem to be working best.
The spillway project slated for August has been rescheduled for another year, so we all dodged a bullet there. Should be good access with periodic DFW stockings here into September.
--North Lake—
So-so fly fishing from a float tube. Very few reports.
--South Lake--
No fish have been stocked at South Lake this season; the water is simply too low to get fish to the lake so we suggest focusing on other area waters. There are a few fish stacked up at the inlet but it’s mostly fished out from what we’re hearing.
We DO NOT plan on having any boat rentals up at South Lake for 2021. It’s a bummer. We are lobbying water managers to store extra water over at Lake Sabrina and pull extra water from South Lake so one of the two reservoirs is close to normal, but so far we haven’t seen any changes.
--Backcountry--
The backcountry fishing is really rocking at the moment. Those self-sustaining populations of wild trout aren’t impacted by stocking issues or low reservoir levels so the bite has been great all season. We recommend practicing catch and release on all the wild trout. If you do plan to keep some for dinner, keep the Brook Trout since they are plentiful.
If you want to get more information on how to responsibly access and be successful catching these wild trout in backountry waters, resort staffers Jared Smith and Seth Blackamore have written some guide books called “Fishin’ Trails” and “Fishin’ Trails 2” available at businesses and tackle shops all up and down Hwy 395….and of course here in our gift shop.
--Crowley Lake--
Our cabin guests continue to have good luck at Crowley about 50 minutes north. They’ve been getting into a really nice grade of Trout averaging around 2lbs with some healthy Sacramento Perch mixed in. Talk with the folks at Crowley Lake Fish Camp for info on where go and what to use.
---Fish Stocking Update—
Periodic DFW plants are still happening, but the amounts aren’t exactly wowing us. But, it’s much much better than no fish! The meager DFW stockings are the status quo for all of the high country waters west of 395 thanks to shortages within the hatchery system. Thankfully, we’re due for some more DFW fish this week and we also have a load of Idaho Rainbows coming sometime in the next couple weeks to help keep that bite rolling on. The supplemental stockings of Idaho ‘Bows are paid for by a co-op of the Bishop Creek Canyon Businesses in conjunction with the Bishop Chamber of Commerce.
Sierraly,
The Parchers Crew
Photos of the Week
