By Mike Stevens, Contributor at Wild Nexus

Eastern Sierra trout anglers typically hang up their waders when the general trout season closes on November 15, but locals and road trippers most familiar with the area know there are plenty of off season opportunities to take advantage of. Here are a few of the primary areas anglers tap into from late fall through winter and into early spring.

Owens Valley

The lower Owens River below the town of Bishop flows south along Highway 395 for over 50 miles before reaching its terminus, for all intents and purposes, at the mostly dry Owens Lake. The “Lower O” has always been a year round fishery featuring a diverse array of gamefish including rainbow trout, brown trout, largemouth and smallmouth bass, panfish, catfish, and carp. There is a ton of access to the river in the form of roads splintering off U.S. 395 and heading east to the river, or by taking almost any turn off, paved or not, heading east and simply running into the river, which brings even more access to the table.

In winter, angler pressure is primarily locals hitting the river with the summer crowds done for the season. Trout, both species, are stocked in winter with most of that occurring downstream of Tinemaha Reservoir near Big Pine, and at various access points where a bridge crosses the river.

While trout are the most popular target in the Owens Valley, it would be a mistake to pass on targeting Owens River bass. It is a rare opportunity in California to fish for bass in moving water, and the fact that smallmouth are in the mix is an added bonus. The best part is they can almost always be caught in the same areas that hold trout, so an angler can bring a trout rod and bass gear down to the river and try for both.

Lower Owens River trout can be caught on the standard trout menu including spinners, spoons, diving baits such as Rapala and Yo Zuri, and bait techniques, which are legal year round on this stretch of the Lower O. Bass standards can almost all be put in play as well, but it is wise to go weedless since the river is full of stickups and submerged trees. Weedless Ned heads with a plastic craw, jigs, tubes, and underspins can all be employed, and squarebilled crankbaits have a knack for nosing down and plowing through hangups without getting stuck.

A few years ago, regulations were updated that opened up most of the creeks flowing down from the Sierra, across the valley, and into the Owens to year round fishing. However, they do not get stocked often in winter, the water is frigid which leads to sluggish trout, and it is difficult fishing overall. The Lower Owens is by far the top option in the Valley.

Bishop area

A lot of the water around the town of Bishop is technically in the Owens Valley, but there are some differences in what is available for winter fishing that warrant its own category. The Lower Owens fishing detailed above is also available here, with that section starting at Five Bridges Road just north of town and making a long run south.

Upstream of Five Bridges to Pleasant Valley Campground is the Wild Trout Section of the Owens, which calls for single hook, barbless artificials, making it a favorite run for fly fishermen. The fish in this stretch are almost all wild rainbows and browns in the 10 to 15 inch range, with some larger fish mixed in. Occasionally bass are caught there as well, although not as often as in areas farther south.

This stretch flows out of Pleasant Valley Reservoir, another fishery that has been open year round for decades. It receives a fair amount of stocking even in winter, in addition to trout that enter via the Owens River inlet. Some of those browns reach trophy size in PVR, making it a respectable option for lunker hunting. Bait is allowed here, and the typical five fish limit is in play.

Above Pleasant Valley Reservoir is the Owens River Gorge, which offers excellent fishing for wild brown trout. They make up for their smaller size by not being particularly picky about what they eat, so it is usually easy to put together solid numbers in the Gorge. It is a steep drop to reach the water, and of course you have to climb back out at the end of the day, but it makes for fun winter fishing. Very few anglers dare to go down there during the triple digit daytime temperatures of summer.

Those updated regulations did open some creeks to heavily regulated winter fishing. Anglers should always check the regulations before fishing, but most are zero limit with barbless artificials only. Even so, the best winter odds remain in the Owens River, the Gorge, and Pleasant Valley Reservoir.

Up the Hill

Eastern Sierra winter options heading up out of Bishop into the mountains are far from endless, but there is some opportunity. That includes Hot Creek, which offers world class catch and release fly fishing. Access can be tricky when there is snow, and flows can get low at times, but Hot Creek is always worth a look for a shot at flawless rainbows and browns.

The Upper Owens River upstream of Benton Road is also fly fishing only, giving anglers a shot at big rainbows and cutthroat trout that migrate up out of Crowley Lake. Brown trout are also present in this slow, winding stream, which features miles of tempting undercut banks and deep holes. The stretch of the Upper Owens between Benton and Crowley is closed this time of year to allow spawners to do their thing without interruption.

Yes, there are some relatively newly opened creeks in this area that allow year round fishing, but most anglers who make it this far up U.S. 395 are specifically targeting Hot Creek, the Upper Owens, or the East Walker River near Bridgeport, another hour plus up the highway.