Expert DRAFT

Best Fishing Spots- Mammoth Lakes, California

Gone Fishin’

Have you ever “Gone Fishin’” and came up empty handed? The family to your right is pulling up a fish a minute and the old man on your left laughs at you and your empty lines every time he catches a fish. You spent fifty dollars on a fishing license, hundreds of dollars on a rod, and five dollars for a tub of worms. You scratch your head thinking what you can possibly be doing wrong, you’re at the same lake as everyone else! You never want to go fishing again. But before you give up on catching that ten pound trout, let me tell you about the best places to catch your limit at Mammoth Lakes.

Mammoth Lakes is known as one of the most challenging and rewarding fishing destinations on the West coast. The wonder and beauty of the Eastern Sierra with crystal clear lakes and rivers will have you mesmerized from the get go. Fishing at Mammoth can be done in many ways- from shore or a boat, from the dock, and even in lakes and rivers and streams. Along with all the different ways of fishing, there are also a variety of fishing techniques, in addition to gear, baits, and lures. With all these different possibilities, there’s always something for everyone. What are you waiting for?

Recommended Fishing Destinations

If you’re new to fishing at Mammoth Lakes, here are the top 4 spots you would want to go. If you’re a seasoned angler, you have already been here and have had great success:

1.      Crowley Lake

2.      Lake Mary

3.      San Joaquin River

4.      Owens River

Here I have given you pretty much two options to choose from either a lake or a river and both have their upsides depending on your preference. For each location, I will give you a brief overview of the destination, the best spots to hook a monster fish, the technique and equipment that will give you the greatest odds to land the five pounder, and the most popular species of fish.

Crowley Lake

Crowley Lake is located just off of Highway 395 and is known to be an incredible fishery that produces large, beautiful trout that will give you the fight of your life. The lake is twelve miles long and five miles wide which gives you lots of space to work with. Now although there is plenty of shoreline to try your new rod, I suggest renting a boat from the Crowley Lake Marina for slightly under $100. The lake is just too big to fish it from the shore; keep in mind if you can see the fish, the fish can see you. Now with a boat, you are able to cover more of the lake as well as perform different techniques of fishing that will give you the best chance to land a fish. Trolling is extremely popular and this is where you leave your lines off the end of your boat and drive the boat slowly, giving your bait enough of a current to look like a real fish or a juicy worm. Fly fishing also works tremendously well at Crowley Lake due to many of the fish lurking around the surface of the water eating flies. A fair warning, do not drive to the middle of the lake and drop your bait all the way to the bottom, you will not feel a bite since there are no fish down there. Crowley Lake is crawling with a variety of species of fish which include stocked rainbow trout, wild brown trout, and wild cutthroat trout. Crowley Lake is one of the few destinations to catch the elusive cutthroat trout.

Lake Mary

Lake Mary is the largest lake of the four lakes in the Mammoth lakes Basin. The lake stretches out for nearly a mile and covers almost 140 acres and has a boat ramp and tackle store. Compared to Crowley Lake, Lake Mary is tiny. However, Lake Mary is nicknamed Lake Big Fish. The best spots to fish at Lake Mary are the inlets where the water comes from Lake George and from float tubing in the middle of the lake. To hook a fish at Lake Mary is completely different than the techniques described for Lake Crowley. Instead of trolling or fly fishing, the best way to catch a fish is to either use a bobble and worm and fish from the surface of the water or to use a weight and sinker to fish off the bottom of the surface. Both techniques are similar: imagine a bobble sitting atop the water and your worm is a few inches from your bobble while a weight sits on the lake bottom and the worm floats a few inches from the bottom. The most sought after fish at Lake Mary is the rainbow trout which most of the time are stocked trout from hatcheries. Also, if you would like to encounter a bear, Lake Mary is the place to go.

San Joaquin River

The San Joaquin River is the largest river of Central California stretching 366 miles. 9 miles of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River is accessible near Mammoth Lakes and is surrounded by Devils Postpile National Monument and Reds Meadows. Honestly, the best place to fish at the San Joaquin River is anywhere. Although some anglers prefer certain spots along the river, fishing is good all along the river so you cannot go wrong with choosing a spot. Your best bet in terms of technique would be fly fishing and even bait fishing. Fly fishing is the most popular while wading in halfway into the river while bait fishing is preferred in the pools and along the bends of the river. Now what differentiates San Joaquin River from most other places in Mammoth Lakes is the fish that can be caught. Species range from rainbow, brown, brook, and gold trout. However, many of the fish in the San Joaquin River are wild rather than stocked fish from the hatchery. Wild fish are much more fun to reel in, putting up a better fight. Not only do they give you a run for your money but they also taste much better, having a more pink meat compared to white meat of hatchery fish. But if you’re looking to catch a monster here, wild fish tend to be smaller than stocked hatchery fish so keep that in mind if you’re trying to show off to your friends.

Owens River

The Owens River is sixty miles long and is divided into two parts, the Upper Owens and the Lower Owens. The Upper Owens is a high plains spring creek and is located closer to Mammoth Lakes while the Lower Owens is valley tailwater closer to Bishop. So the Lower Owens would be a perfect stop before reaching your final destination of Mammoth. The Owens are relatively clear with very few trees to provide shade but most of the river is private, especially in the Upper parts. Your best bet would be to find a small bend in the river somewhere along the lower part of the river. The best way to catch the trophy fish is to either fly fish or just use a normal bait and hook. The fishing is simple, drop your fly or bait at the top of the bend and let the river’s current do the rest of the job, carrying it down river. Once it’s a bit far down, just recast it to the top of the river. Owens River do not boast a wide variety of fish but instead only house wild brown trout and wild and stocked rainbow trout.

If you’re looking to max out on your daily/trip limit, Lake Mary and the Owens River would be your best bet. If you’re looking to catch your trophy fish of seven pounds, Crowley Lake is the place to go. If you’re looking for the best fight, the San Joaquin River will give you the strongest battle.

Just some general tips:

·         Fishing begins at sunrise and concludes at sundown

·         Best time to fish is early in the morning when the fish first wake up

·         PowerBait only really works on hatchery fish, not wild fish

·         Have fun!

With your newfound knowledge and insider information, it is time for you to gather your gear and go catch your limit!