Early Eastern Sierra Spring Runoff and Continued Fishing Success
When one door closes, another one opens
Last week, I bid farewell to the Lower Owens River after wrapping up my Driftboat outings for the winter season. The water flow increased dramatically, rising from winter levels of approximately 90 cubic feet per second to 300 cubic feet per second. This surge transformed the river into a muddy, chocolate milk-like state and effectively ended the midday Caddis hatch. Despite these changes, I have always welcomed transitions and readily shift my focus to other fisheries when conditions require.
This spring arrived quickly, leading to premature runoff on both the Upper Owens and Hot Creek. Nevertheless, the fishing has remained quite good. I anticipate that a normal cooling trend will settle in soon, returning us to typical temperatures. Based on my experience, April often holds onto the remnants of winter, and I am hopeful for a couple more winter storms before the season fully transitions.
