Hot Creek Sportfishing Report

Hot Creek - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by The Trout Fitter Staff
8-4-2008
Website

Water Conditions:Good
Water is clear and stream is in great shape. Weeds are getting THICK making things technical. Weed and current lanes are pretty defined and you20can bet there are trout under every dark edge.

Fishing Conditions and Hatches:Good
There have been a lot of fish being caught on Hot Creek this year. If you have not already heard the DFG electroshocking last fall turned out numbers of 11,000 to 12,000 trout per mile (estimate based on 3 days of shocking). This is phenomenal of any river?Ķbut Hot Creek is just a CREEK?Ķwhich makes this even more amazing. Do the math it is, like, a fish every 16" of water. Yeah, WOW! If you are on the stream during a good hatch the fish are out and willing.

Recommended Flies:
DRIES- #24 Tricos, #18-20 tan Parachute Caddis, #12 hopper patterns tan/light brown, EC Caddis #16-20 (killer evening), PMD dries (pretty sparse), tiny hackled midge dries. Chernobyl Ants (why not).

NYMPHS-Lots of tiny midges #22-24 Zebra Midges & WD-40's in olive, grey, black, rust. Olive scuds #16-18, #22 Barr's PMD's, #18-24 PT's, Trico nymphs and emergers #22, Chammy Caddis Larva #18, tan Sparkle Pupa #18, CDC Caddis Emergers.

STREAMERS- Streamers on Hot Creek? Sure they will catch fish?Ķbut common it's called "fly fishing" for a reason. To resort to streamers on Hot Creek is giving up. This stream has some of the most prolific bug hatches around, imitate the bugs and work on your drifts and you will do just fine. Besides, the weeds make it really tough to fish streamers right now.

Guide's Hint Hot Creek gets techy this time of year with more educated trout and tiny bug hatches. But, trust me?Ķyou can have a great time fishing big hopper patterns. Forget the "dropper" fly and just go with a single hopper and simply cover lots of water. Find the opportunistic fish and you will have a blast. Keep on the move!




More Reports

The Trout Fitter Reports
for Monday, August 4th, 2008

Crowley Lake: The Crowley Lake Stillwater Classic August 9, 2008
Mammoth Lakes : Central Reservations of Mammoth
Crowley Lake: Crowley Lake University coming soon!
Mammoth Lakes : Mammoth Lakes Basin Sportfishing Report