Crowley Lake Sportfishing Report

Crowley Lake - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by The Trout Fitter Staff
8-4-2008
Website

Water Conditions:
Water is ridiculously hot everywhere in the lake, as in over 70 degress on the bottom except in McGee Bay and the mouth of the Owens, which you can't get to by boat.
McGee Bay has some perfect 57 degree water but it is in 4 ft of water choked with weeds and unfishable. The un derwater stream channel has disappreared (silted out) so there is no concentration of colder water following the old channel out into the bay. The cold water goes about 100 feet from the mouth in what's left of the channel and then just dissipates over the entire bay wih no real concentration.

The good news is that the water is starting to cool a little.

Fishing Conditions and Hatches:
Fishing has been excellent to fair all over McGee Bay from inside in 7 ft of water out to maybe 12 ft. Every day is a crap shoot but even if it is slow the quality of the fish is quite excellent.

It seems only slow steady for the most part even on the good days with a few periods of steady to good but the bite lasts from 7 am until at least noon daily with some real monsters including Browns and Cutthroats.

Damsels are still prevalent, as well as Perch fry, both being slashed on the surface from first light but only a few guys are stripping.

Reports of some nice fish in Little Hilton have been confirmed.

Recommended Flies:
No change in the recommended offering . . . Blood Worms early or gray/black Optimidges in size 16 and 18 mid-morning. Olive dubbed-head Optimidges, size 18, have been the secret weapon the last couple of days.

If you see any calibaetis on the surface at any time go to a Jensens Calibaetis.
Stripping Damsel patterns with slow 1 inch twitches or Bird's Nest using longer strips then coast to imitate the miniture fry.

Spring for that second rod stamp and hang your midging rod in the rod holder (never lay on the deck unless you want to add the three rod/reel outfits I have contributed to the Crowley Lake Fish Gods over the years. Big fish will foul hook themselves and pull a $1,000 overboard in a hot second. Lake donations are not covered by "unconditional" guarantees.) and strip as second rod while watching the indicator. When the midge grabs exceed the stripping grabs switch over.

Guides Hint: With the hotter water and lower oxygen content, be sure and really revive every fish. Crowley, An Underwater Perspective is still available on DVD.


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