Tom's Place Fishing: January 2008 Archives

Photo courtesy of David Neal, www.reelmammothadventures.com

Name of river: Owens River / Gorge Section

From Crowley Lake outlet downstream to Pleasant Valley Reservoir, this section of the Owens River has been manipulated by hydroelectric dams and a scarcity of water in some parts of this stretch.  Successful litigation against the City of Los Angeles has insured minimum flows to 36 cfs, after almost fifty years of little or no water in the Gorge.  Access is limited, and I will have to report back on this stretch of river.  The bottom section of the Gorge may be accessed from a trail from Pleasant Valley Reservoir. Directions: From Highway 395, drive north of Bishop approximately ten miles.  Turn right at Gorge Drive at the bottom of Sherwin Grade.  (This entry will be expanded with text and photographs during the summer of 2008.

Lake Name: Ruby Lake    Elevation: 11,121

Road condition:   Paved to trailhead   Hike difficulty: Mostly easy

Day hike fishing: 1.5 miles on the Mosquito Flat Trailhead above Rock Creek Lake

Region: White Mountain Ranger District    Area/description: Rock Creek Canyon / Little Lakes Canyon / John Muir Wilderness

Lake size: 35 acres    Species: Browns and Brookies and Rainbows

Closest town or supplies: Rock Creek Lakes Resort; Bishop

Contacts: Rock Creek Lakes Lodge (760) 935-4311; Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (760) 873-8405

Facilities: Lodge, marina, grocery store, bait and tackle, coin-laundry, coin-showers, RV campground

Nearest campground: Rock Creek Campground

Fishing season: General        Best times: Late spring and fall

Tips: Fish the outlet

Favorite lures or bait: Use small lures such as Kastmasters, Daredevils and Panther-Martins.  Bring smaller lures, but have a variety of color combinations to entice both shallow and deep cruising trout. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Good dry fly action or Fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques)

Stocking information:

Additional information:

Nearby fishing: Rock Creek Lake; Mack Lake, Heart Lake

Directions: From Bishop take Highway 395 nine miles to the Rock Creek Road exit at Tom’s Place.  Proceed 8 miles to the lake. Follow the Mosquito Flat Trail 1.5 miles to Mack Lake.  Follow the Ruby Lake Trail from Mack Lake.

Map courtesy of my topo.com.

Lake Name: Heart Lake    Elevation: 10,500

Road condition:   Paved to trailhead   Hiking difficulty: Mostly easy

Day hike fishing: 1.5 miles on the Mosquito Flat Trailhead above Rock Creek Lake

Region: White Mountain Ranger District    Area/description: Rock Creek Canyon / Little Lakes Canyon / John Muir Wilderness

Lake size: 6     Species: Browns and Brookies and Rainbows

Closest town or supplies: Rock Creek Lakes Resort; Bishop

Contacts: Rock Creek Lakes Lodge (760) 935-4311; Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (760) 873-8405

Facilities: Lodge, marina, grocery store, bait and tackle, coin-laundry, coin-showers, RV campground

Nearest campground: Rock Creek Campground

Fishing season: General        Best times: Late spring and fall

Tips: Note: Just before Heart Lake is a drainage lake named Marsh Lake.  It reportedly offers good fishing but is often over looked by anglers eager to fish Heart Lake and the fact that it is marshy.

Favorite lures or bait: Use small lures such as Kastmasters, Daredevils and Panther-Martins.  Bring smaller lures, but have a variety of color combinations to entice both shallow and deep cruising trout. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Good dry fly action or Fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques)

Stocking information:

Additional information:

Nearby fishing: Rock Creek Lake; Mack Lake, Ruby Lake (Ruby Lake at 35 acres and an elevation of 11,121 is reached from Mack Lake.)

Directions: From Bishop take Highway 395 nine miles to the Rock Creek Road exit at Tom’s Place.  Proceed 8 miles to the lake. Follow the Mosquito Flat Trail 1.5 miles to Mack Lake.  Proceed up the trail another mile.

Lake Name: Mack Lake     Elevation: 10,470

Road condition:   Paved to trailhead   Hike difficulty: Mostly easy

Day hike fishing: 1.5 miles on the Mosquito Flat Trailhead above Rock Creek Lake

Region: White Mountain Ranger District    Area/description: Rock Creek Canyon / Little Lakes Canyon / John Muir Wilderness

Lake size: 4     Species: Browns and Brookies

Closest town or supplies: Rock Creek Lakes Resort; Bishop

Contacts: Rock Creek Lakes Lodge (760) 935-4311; Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (760) 873-8405

Facilities: Lodge, marina, grocery store, bait and tackle, coin-laundry, coin-showers, RV campground

Nearest campground: Rock Creek Campground

Fishing season: General        Best times: Late spring and fall; ice-out can be delayed after a bad winter.  A wilderness permit is required for over-night camping.

Tips: Fish the inlet and outlet

Favorite lures or bait: Use small lures such as Kastmasters, Daredevils and Panther-Martins.  Bring smaller lures, but have a variety of color combinations to entice both shallow and deep cruising trout. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Good dry fly action or Fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques)

Stocking information:

Additional information:

Nearby fishing: Heart, Chickenfoot and Long Lake

Directions: From Bishop take Highway 395 nine miles to the Rock Creek Road exit at Tom’s Place.  Proceed 8 miles to the lake. Follow the Mosquito Flat Trail 1.5 miles.

Lake Name: Rock Creek Lake     Elevation: 9,682

Road condition:   Paved to trailhead 

Day hike fishing: 1.5 miles on the Mosquito Flat Trailhead above Rock Creek Lake

Region: White Mountain Ranger District    Area/description: Rock Creek Canyon / Little Lakes Canyon / John Muir Wilderness

Lake size: 55 acres     Species: Rainbows, Browns and Brookies

Closest town or supplies: Rock Creek Lakes Resort; Bishop

Contacts: Rock Creek Lakes Lodge (760) 935-4311; Bishop Chamber of Commerce and

Visitor Center (760) 873-8405

Facilities: Lodge, marina, boat rentals, grocery store, bait and tackle, RV campground

Nearest campground: Rock Creek Campground

Fishing season: General        Best times: Late spring and fall; ice-out can be delayed after a bad winter.  A wilderness permit is required for over-night camping.

Tips: Fish the inlet and outlet

Favorite lures or bait: Use small lures such as Kastmasters, Daredevils and Panther-Martins.  Bring smaller lures, but have a variety of color combinations to entice both shallow and deep cruising trout. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Good dry fly action or Fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques)

Stocking information: 40,000 + 3 to 10lb. Alper trout. This is in addition to the private stocking program from the resort owners and the Mono County Fishing Enhancement Program. The record Brown for this lake is 15-lb., 8-oz.

Additional information: The paved road to the lake has the distinction of being the highest paved road in the state at 10,150 feet.  The lake does not receive as much pressure as Convict Lake, nor does it have the winds that Convict Lake produces.  It is a popular lake with float tubers.

Directions:  From Highway 395 in Bishop, drive 22 miles north.  Turn left on Rock Creek Lake Exit and drive nine miles to the lake.

Map courtesy of mytopo.com.

Name of creek: Rock Creek

Road condition:   Paved   

Region: White Mountain Ranger District   Drainage: Rock Creek Lake

Description: A small creek with a variety of holding water

Species: Planted Rainbows with some wild Browns and Brookies

Closest town or supplies: Rock Creek Lakes Resort, marina, general store, bait and tackle, cabins, restaurant

Contacts: Rock Creek Lakes Resort, marina, general store, bait and tackle, cabins, restaurant (760) 935-4311; Bishop Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center (760) 873-8405; Barret’s Outfitters (760) 872-3830; Brock’s Flyfishing Specialists (760) 872-3581; Culver’s Sporting Goods (760) 872-8361; Mac’s Sporting Goods (760) 872-9201

Nearest campground: Rock Creek Campground; East Fork Campground; Palisade Campground; Big Meadow Campground; Iris Meadow Campground; French Camp; Tuff Campground

Fishing season: General      

Tips:

Favorite lures or bait: Most Sierra creeks are too small to fish effectively with lures and spinners.  Your best bet is to poke and dab using salmon eggs or worms or Power Bait.  Small weighted jig patterns, especially grubs and very small tube worms work very well, and do not over look live terrestrials if they are allowed.  If you are partial to lures bring along small Panther-Martins in a variety of colors. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Using a poke and dab presentation, small Woolly Buggers, Girdle Bugs, Yuk Bugs and terrestrial patterns always work well on creeks.  Dry fly patterns include Royal Wulffs, Parachute Adams, Humpies, Renegades, Stimulators, hoppers, ants, beetles and sometimes a Bead-head San Juan Worm. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques.  Also read the article on fishing creeks if you are new to the sport of angling.)

Stocking information: 36,000

Nearby fishing: Rock Creek Lake; Upper Rock Creek; Little Lakes Valley

Additional information:

Directions: From Bishop take Highway 395 nine miles to the Rock Creek Road exit at Tom’s Place.  Proceed 8 miles to the lake or creek.

Map courtesy of mytopo.com.