Crowley Lake - fly fishing update 10/11/2012

Crowley Lake - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by Tom Loe
10-16-2012
Website

The pictures will tell the story here. The lake level is at all time lows, but is finally stabilizing and will begin to go up slowly. The bulk of the fish are holding in the north arm from Sandy Pt. to North Landing. Layton Springs has been consistent on the days the wind blows easterly. We are still seeing strong midge hatches; however with the cooler weather and lower barometric pressures this will taper off. Recent guide trips are logging big numbers of small fish that have been recently planted. The big's are few and far between recently, but what you do see are spectacular. Streamer fishing is very good and perhaps more consistent than still water nymphing most times. I have seen upwards of 50 tubes on the weekends in the North Arm which has been a "blast from the past" as tubing is not as popular here as it once was. The algae situation continues to plague other areas of the lake and has shut down McGee Bay and what is left of the Hilton's most of the time. Six Bays is a great option from shore as the water stays deep right up to the banks. You do not need a tube to fish here and it will remain this way until the closing on November 15th. The DFG has put a bunch of small rainbows and Cutty's in this year. Let's hope we get a huge winter and the much needed water so they can grow! My go to rig is an Assassin and a copper or dark tiger or zebra midge in the afternoon, if you see a good chironomid emergence use #18-20 GILLIES for sure. Broken backs are also working very well in the wind. Stay in 5-8 feet for still water nymphing, the fish will cruise much shallower if you are using streamers.

Photos:

Pictured Above:The man from NC. Eddy Cvelich, and his "dip & chip" method proved to be the ticket for this monster rainbow caught on a #18 GILLIE
Photo #1:Jon Conrad with a gargantuan rainbow he bested on a streamer near Green Banks while with us. Great fish Jon, WOW!
Photo #2:Steve Marino with an absolutely beautiful colored up Crowley brownie
Photo #3:Joey Sloan got a chunky rainbow on an Assassin
Photo #4:Mike Alio hit this nice brown and a bunch of rainbows and cutts recently on Crowley
Photo #5: Before the plug got pulled...
Photo #6:Current level at the Crowley Lake Fish Camp Marina
Photo #7:You can see where the water level was to start the season. Unprecedented.
Photo #8:The DFG has been putting in plenty of "freshman's" this fall




More Reports

Tom Loe Reports
for Tuesday, October 16th, 2012

Owens River: Lower Owens River - fly fishing update 10/14/2012
Owens River: Upper Owens River - fly fishing update 10/11/2012


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