Freestone · Volcanic · Eastern Sierra

Upper Owens River

The Upper Owens River in winter with sunlight reflections on the water, Long Valley, Mono County.
Good · Rainbow Trout
Parachute Adams · 12-18
Goodlive now
A proper day on the water
Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.
75% confidence
What moved it
  • LevelDry recentlyNo gauge reading
  • Water temp16.5°C
  • ClarityClear
Today's fly
Parachute Adams
Parachute Adams12-18
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp16.5°C
ClarityClear
Weather17°C
WindNW 6 km/h
Pressure1018 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead4.4 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

Water temperature for Rainbow Trout
Ideal
17°C est.ideal 10–18°C
0°14°28°
How to fish it · for Rainbow Trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water temperature is right today, though insect activity could be better.
Hatch timeline · todayQuiet day

Hatch predictions

Today's headline hatch shown — see all 2 active hatches hour by hour with Pro.

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Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

See the full sub-surface read with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 2 with Pro.

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Evidence
ModelledModerate confidence

Modelled from regional ecology — no survey or occurrence data for this water yet.

Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Western Green DrakeHatch
2
2
Flav (Small Western Green Drake)Hatch
2
3
2
Mahogany DunHatch
2
2
American March BrownHatch
2
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow Trout fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Year-round on the open reaches, but reach-specific seasonal/gear rules apply near the Crowley inflow — verify against CDFW
  • SPAWNING ETHICS: big lake-run fish are often on redds; do not target spawners or wade on spawning beds.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Hot Creek
7.0 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Crowley Lake
9.0 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
McGee Creek
17 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Owens River Gorge / Pleasant Valley
19 km
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Upper San Joaquin River
29 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
Gallery · 2
  1. The Upper Owens River in winter with sunlight reflections on the water, Long Valley, Mono County.
    Upper Owens in winter
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
  • Recreation: Impaired
What this classification means

Recreation: Bacteria/pathogen advisory — mind wading cuts and immersion.

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Owens River (Long HA)' (CAR6031009020011204130840), 2024 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Insufficient Information. Listed impairment causes: Pathogens. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · CAR6031009020011204130840

The full read · show the working · for Rainbow Trout · confidence 75%
How the 78 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature100 × 28%28.0
Flow60 × 22%13.2
Clarity85 × 18%15.3
Feeding Time80 × 13%10.4
Pressure75 × 7%5.3
Insect activity46 × 12%5.5
Conditions total= 78
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts