Fishing Season: Year round

Hot Creek - CA

Fishing Outlook & Conditions

Water Temp:

60

Jim Elias's Tip of the Week

Your drift needs to be good to get the grabs, so run shorter drifts that present your fly in the best way possible. When I say shorter drifts, I mean it. Usually only 8-10ft of river at a time, sometimes less are way more effective than running a sub standard 20ft drift.

Directions open in app

Map of Hot Creek

5-Day Outlook as of 5/19/22

Windy today and tonight lingering through Friday. Warming trend starts tomorrow with temps reaching the 80s by the middle of next week.

Techniques & Tips as of 5/19/22

Dry Dropper or Euro Nymphing if the wind isn't blowing. Otherwise a small piece of yarn will work best as your strike indicator.

Local Species Available Year round

  • Fish Icon

    Trout - Rainbow

  • Fish Icon

    Brown

Jim Elias's Recommended Fly Patterns

"Must-have" fly fishing patterns in descending order of importance:

Name: Colors: Size(s):
Blue Wing Olive Parachute N/A 16-18
Adams N/A 16-18
Bead Head American Pheasant Tail N/A 18
Griffith's Gnat N/A 18-20
Zebra Midge N/A 16-20
WD-40 Black 18
RS2 Gray 18-20
Tunghead Hot Spot Pheasant Tail Jig N/A 16
Tungsten Psycho N/A 16-20
hogans S&M Brown 16-20

Blue Wing Olive Parachute

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Item #0924

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Jim Elias's Recommended Gear

Description: About Hot Creek

CANYON SECTION BELOW THE HOT CREEK RANCH AND AFTER THE CATTLE GUARDS.

Nearest Airport:

Mammoth -Yosemite Airport (MMH)

Hatches:

Flows are up with the warm weather but not by a whole lot. Weeds are already out of control and with water temps already in the 60s it's going to get interesting this summer. This could be at or near peak runoff but we'll have to wait and see after this cold front blows through. We'll know by the end of next week when Mammoth starts to see temps in the 70s. The fish are still playing hide and seek, and they're doing a pretty damn good job at hiding. Try as I may, I just cant see them. That may be either a product of age, or the fact that they're so far embedded in the weeds that nobody would be able to see them. I'm not gonna lie, the fishing here isn't spectacular. The hatches I've seen are sporadic and weak with a few BWOs and larger Caddis showing up but not in any great numbers. Only managed a handful of fish here in the afternoon on a full day trip so I think your time is better spent elsewhere for the time being.

Best Time to Fish:

Mid Morning

Best Stretch:

Canyon Section

Best Access:

All three parking lots.