Eastern Sierra Fly Fishing Report: Week of July 31, 2026

Summer is in full swing up and down the 395 corridor. Water is warm, the weeds are up, and the bite is all about timing, so early mornings and evenings are your friend right now. Here is where things stand this week. Every fly below is one we tie and stock, so tap any name to grab it.

Crowley Lake

The lake is fishing hot in every sense. Rainbows, cutthroat, and browns are coming to the net all over, with the North Arm and Hilton Bay leading the way. As surface temps climb, fish are pulling down to 30 to 35 feet, so get your flies down to them. This is prime damselfly season, and stripping nymphs on an intermediate line is about as fun as stillwater gets. Keep an eye out for algal blooms as the lake turns over.

Try: The Green Damsel Nymph (12 to 14), Epoxy Buzzer Red Pearl (14 to 16), Black Buzzer (16 to 18), The Black Chironomid Pupa (16 to 18), Egg Sucking Leech, Olive.

Hot Creek

Classic late summer Hot Creek: flows are dropping, the weeds are thick, and the water is warming, so fish early. The dry fly window on the Interpretive stretch runs from about 8 in the morning until late morning, then it is over. Tricos and caddis are the dominant hatches now, with sporadic midge early. Bring your A game on drag free drifts, because these browns and rainbows are as spooky as they come.

Try: Thorax Trico (20), Sparkle Dun, Male Trico (20), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18), Adams Female Parachute (18 to 20), Tungsten Zebra Midge, Red (18 to 20).

Upper Owens River

The Upper Owens is running low and warm, about 68 degrees by the bridge come midmorning and a touch cooler, in the mid 60s, up at the confluence. Fish early and be mindful of the fish's health in the heat; volunteer hoot owl regulations are in effect, so wrap up by late morning. Female Tricos start coming off around 7 with the spinner fall near 9, and caddis are on the move. Dry dropper rigs are outproducing straight dries in the faster water, and there are plenty of eager small browns if numbers over size is your goal.

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

Lower Owens River (Wild Trout near Bishop)

Timing is everything down here right now. Water is warming fast, around 68 degrees by the bridge by midmorning, so be on the water early and done by 10, or fish the evening after the sun drops behind the crest, and bring bug spray, because the mosquitoes are thick. Fish are holding in the channels in 6 to 20 feet, with a strong Callibaetis push mid morning, from 9 to 10, and damsel emergence around 11 to 1. Evenings bring a reliable caddis hatch worth staying for. Note that irrigation flows are up, so anything upstream of the first drive through gate can be hazardous, so mind your wading.

Try: Wooly Bugger, Brown (6 to 10), BH Krystal Bugger, Peacock, Epoxy Minnow, Shad, Thorax Callibaetis (14 to 16), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18).

East Walker River

The East Walker got a bump from recent rain, but expect flows to drop back quickly, so check current readings before you commit. Water temps have been holding in the 60s up near Bridgeport, though dam releases can push past 70 degrees as the reservoir drops, so carry a thermometer and give fish a break if it climbs. Optimal fishing sits in that 80 to 250 CFS range. Dry dropper rigs are the ticket in the faster runs right now.

Try: BH Pheasant Tail, Angel Hair (14 to 16), Czech Nymph, Natural (14 to 16), BH Olive Hares Ear (16 to 18), Elk Hair Caddis, Brown (16 to 18), Wooly Bugger, Brown (8 to 10).

Bridgeport Reservoir and Twin Lakes

The reservoir has been on fire this past week, with good numbers and real quality. Browns in the 2 to 4 pound class are common, and a few 6 pounders, plus a reported double digit fish, have shown up. Boaters trolling Rapalas, Kastmasters, and needlefish are doing well; fly anglers can find action along the shoreline with streamers and nymphs during the hatches. Over on Twin Lakes, the trophy brown reputation is holding up.

Try: Wooly Bugger, Brown, Egg Sucking Leech, Olive, The Green Damsel Nymph (12 to 14), Black Buzzer (16 to 18), Blob FAB, Sunburst.

Weather Outlook

Expect a hot, dry stretch. Mammoth Lakes highs are running 70 to 84 degrees with overnight lows in the 40s, while Bishop climbs into the mid 90s, especially heading into mid August. There is a modest uptick in moisture in the forecast models that could kick up isolated afternoon thunderstorms over the Sierra crest, so keep an eye on the sky if you are up high. Bottom line: warm water is the story this week, so fish early, fish late, and handle every fish with care.

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.