With the weed beds being as thick as they can get, hopper-droppers can be a good choice

Hot Creek - Mammoth Lakes, CA (Mono County)


by The Trout Fitter Staff
8-15-2024
Website

Flows & Water Conditions- Fair

Clarity- Good

CFS- 10

Click Here For Hot Creek Flow Rates

Fishing Report & Conditions: Good - Very Good

With the weed beds being as thick as they can get, hopper-droppers can be a good choice. Luckily, the hopper fishing is picking up. Caddis are starting their migration from 6-7 AM, while the female Trico emergence starts around 9 AM. The Trico spinner fall starts around 11 AM, and those Trico spinner patterns will work through midday. Midday we’re seeing the tiny BWO #22-26. Late afternoons and evenings hold male Trico hatches, Caddis egg-laying, and Caddis emergence. With the dropping of flows, bird predation is getting worse in shallower water, so expect the fish to move under the banks and weed beds.

Two guide tips: 1) When casting, if you’re looking at the weed beds, you will hit them, so look at the clear lanes. 2) Your drifts should be 4 seconds or less followed by a smooth but aggressive back cast - You will be amazed by the number of hookups you didn’t even know were there.

Flies:

  • Dries: Upright Organza Trico #18-22 | Mimic May PMD #16 | Brooks Hot Creek Caddis #18-22 | Spent Wing Caddis #16-20 | Spring Creek Hopper Tan or Yellow #10-16 | Juicy Hopper #10-12 |
  • Nymphs: Tung Stud Black #18-20 | Split Case PMD #14-18 | HDA Fav #14-16 | Expecting Scud #16-18 | Drowned Trico Spinner #20-22 | Nori Caddis Olive or Brown #14-22 | M/Pardi F/B Olive #18-20 | Weiss BP Light #18-20 | 
  • Streamers: Kesslars H/B/S Olive & Natural #12 |




More Reports

The Trout Fitter Reports
for Thursday, August 15th
Owens River - Section 3 - Upper (above Crowley): Upper Owens River Report
East Walker River (CA): Crowds have decreased but the water temperatures are rising
Owens River - Lower: The flows just jumped from 300 CFS to 500 CFS in the span of 2 days
San Joaquin River-Middle Fork: Flows are on the skinny side and water temperatures are in the 60s

The Trout Fitter Reports
for Thursday, August 8th
Owens River: Upper Owens River Updates
Hot Creek: Hopper Fishing is Picking Up
East Walker River (CA): Fishing Could Pick Up Considerably
Owens River - Lower: It's a Grind to Find Fish
San Joaquin River-Middle Fork: Improved Fishing and a Good Mixture of Hatches