Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report: Week of August 7, 2026

Deep summer on the 395 corridor. Water is warm, weeds are thick, and the whole game right now is timing. Fish the first few hours of light and the last hour of it, carry a thermometer, and give every fish a quick, wet release. One piece of good news: bait season closed on Crowley on August 1, which hands the lake back to fly anglers just as the fish move shallow. Here is where things stand. Every fly below is one we tie and stock, so tap any name to grab it.

Crowley Lake

Crowley has turned on. The algae bloom that clouded things up in July has largely died back, water clarity is much improved, and fish have moved up into the stream channels in roughly 6 to 20 feet. Surface temps are sitting in the low to mid 70s, so the west side, McGee Bay, Hilton Bay, and Crooked Creek are your best bets where the freestone creeks push cool water in. Midges are still the main course, with a strong Callibaetis window from about 9 to 10 and a damsel emergence from 11 to 1. Perch fry are dispersing along the weed lines, so a small baitfish pattern is worth having tied on. Lake level is dropping steadily, so watch your depth finder; last month's numbers are not this month's numbers.

Try: Black Buzzer (16 to 18), Epoxy Buzzer Red Pearl (14 to 16), Thorax Callibaetis (14 to 16), The Green Damsel Nymph (12 to 14), Epoxy Minnow, Shad.

Hot Creek

Classic August on the creek. Flows are dropping steadily, last we saw it was around 22 CFS, and the weed beds in the canyon are at full growth, which makes nymphing a chore and pushes almost everything to the surface. The morning window is the one that matters: female Tricos start coming off near 7, the spinner fall lands around 9, and it goes quiet between 10 and 11. Evenings from about 6 to 8 bring caddis and the male Tricos, and that session can be excellent. Read the rise; splashy is caddis, sippy is Trico. The Interpretive Site has been getting hammered, so evenings are often the smarter play.

Try: Thorax Trico (20), Sparkle Dun, Male Trico (20), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18), Tungsten Zebra Midge, Red (20 to 22), Bead Body Scud, Olive (16 to 18).

Upper Owens River

Runoff is long done and flows are low, in the neighborhood of 57 to 69 CFS. Water is clear except where cattle are inside the fence, and temperature is the thing to watch: about 68 degrees down by the bridge by midmorning, mid 60s up at the confluence at midday. Fish upstream, fish early, and be done before the heat of the day. Tricos have been strong early to mid morning with the males coming off in the evening, caddis are the most consistent hatch, and a tiny BWO is showing midday. Dry dropper is outproducing straight dries in the faster water, and there are plenty of willing small browns if numbers matter more to you than size. Heads up: irrigation has started, so anything upstream of the first drive through gate can be hazardous.

Try: Thorax Trico (20 to 22), Trico Male Poly Spinner (20), BH Pheasant Tail, Angel Hair (18 to 20), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18), Foam Beetle.

Lower Owens River (Wild Trout near Bishop)

Flows are still high down here, running somewhere in the high 300s to low 400s CFS on the most recent readings, which means wading is largely off the table. Clarity is good and the fish are well spread out and unpressured, but the high water pins you to the banks and to whatever you can reach with a longer cast. Bishop air temps have been in the 100s, so this is a first light and last light fishery, and the mosquitoes are ferocious at both ends of the day. Flows are expected to start dropping in the coming weeks, which will open up water that has not seen an angler all summer. Streamers are underused here and worth a swing.

Try: Wooly Bugger, Brown (6 to 10), BH Krystal Bugger, Peacock, Czech Nymph, Natural (12 to 14), BH Olive Hares Ear (14 to 16), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18).

East Walker River

Flows have crept up to around 181 CFS, right in the productive band, and with Bridgeport Reservoir sitting very full we would not be surprised to see another bump. This is still a big fish river where you have to cover water to find them, but the ones you hook tend to be worth the walk. Water temperatures have been holding in the 60s, though releases can run warmer through the day, so bring a thermometer and keep checking, especially below the bridge. Fish until about 10 or 11 in the morning and then again after 7 in the evening once the sun is off the water. Dry dropper has been the most consistent approach, big and buoyant on top with something small and heavy underneath.

Try: Stimulator, Yellow (10 to 14), Elk Hair Hopper, Copper John, Black (14 to 18), Tungsten Zebra Midge, Red (18 to 20), BH Pheasant Tail, Sparkle Back (16 to 18).

Bridgeport Reservoir and Twin Lakes

Bridgeport is very full this year and cooled off a bit this past week, with most boats reporting only a few fish. The fish that are coming have been up in the East Walker, Buckeye, and Robinson channels, plus a few off Rainbow Point, so follow the cool water in. Trolling has been slow overall. Twin Lakes is the better story right now, with steady reports and fish into the 4 pound class. Both waters, along with the West Walker, recently received a plant of Oregon trophy trout, which is reason enough to make the drive. For fly anglers, stripping leeches and attractors on a sinking line along the channel edges is the play.

Try: Blob FAB, Sunburst Fire Tail, Egg Sucking Leech, Olive, Tungsten Woolly Bugger, Black (8 to 10), The Green Damsel Nymph (12 to 14), Black Buzzer (16 to 18).

Weather Outlook

Hot and dry, with a ridge in charge. Mammoth Lakes is looking at highs from about 70 to 84 degrees with overnight lows in the 40s and low 50s, and mostly clear skies. Bishop starts the stretch in the low to mid 100s and should ease back toward the mid 90s around August 10. The ridge weakens slightly on Monday, then rebuilds and gets strong again by the end of next week, so plan on more of the same: warm days and nights that do not cool off much. That matters more than the air temperature itself, because water sheds heat slowly and a warm night means the river never gets its reset. Fish early, fish late, keep them wet, and carry a thermometer.

A note from the shop: every 395 Fly Co fly comes with a tutorial for the water it is tied for, so you will know exactly how to fish it before you are standing in the river. Questions on patterns, sizes, or where to start this week? Email us anytime at 395flyco@gmail.com, we are always happy to talk flies.