Tailwater · Volcanic · Eastern Sierra, US

Owens River Gorge / Pleasant Valley

Owens Gorge White Mtns from Swall Mdws
Today · About as good as it gets
Czech Nymph
Forecast · Today
About as good as it gets
On the feed top to bottom — start on the rises with a dry, drop a nymph if they stay down.
90% projected
Today's fly
Czech Nymph
Czech Nymph
Conditions on the water · Today
Estimate
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp9.0°C
ClarityClear
Weather11°C
WindN 6 km/h
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm
Rain · ahead0.0 mm

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

Water temperature for Brown Trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°

A dam sets this river's temperature, not the weather, so it can shift several degrees within hours when the release changes. It also warms as it runs away from the dam.

How to fish it · for Brown 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
Excellent — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
Likely species
Mayflies
Chironomids
Gammarids
Hatch timeline · todayPeak at 11:00

12:00(now) — Western Blue-Winged Olive

Stage: On emergersApproach: Emerger or dryActivity: 95%
Also:Black Midge86%
Peak emergence window5 food groups active

Peak activity at 11:00 — Western Blue-Winged Olive (Western Blue-Winged Olive, Peak emergence window)

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Supporters see the full sub-surface read.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 as a supporter.

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Evidence
Records-basedModerate confidence

Based on species-occurrence records, not local invertebrate surveys.

Through the year
0–3 scale · October 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 Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2
TricoHatch
2
3
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

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

Ranked for today
Fly box · Brown Trout
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Verify exact public access, current flow source and reach rules against CDFW and LADWP
  • SAFETY: the canyon descent and footing are the main risk — steep volcanic terrain
  • Flow is LADWP-managed and the gorge can see maintenance/flood diversions; not a turn-up-anytime river.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Other water nearby · 5
Crowley Lake
12 km
Rainbow trout · Brown trout
McGee Creek
17 km
68
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Upper Owens River
19 km
69
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Hot Creek
21 km
0
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Lower Owens River
23 km
86
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gallery · 2
  1. Owens Gorge White Mtns from Swall Mdws
  2. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic life: Not assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Owens River (Upper)' (CAR6032000020020116115737), 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) · CAR6032000020020116115737

The full read · show the working · for Brown Trout · confidence 90%
How the 80 is built — score × weight = contribution
Temperature84 × 28%23.5
Flow80 × 22%17.6
Clarity95 × 18%17.1
Feeding Time55 × 13%7.2
Pressure80 × 7%5.6
Insect activity76 × 12%9.1
Conditions total= 80
Can you trust it?
Water temperatureair-to-water estimateestimated
Level / flowon-river gaugeobserved
Prey activitymodelled from regional profilemodelled
What would change the calculation
The dawn and dusk windows score higher than the midday lull.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout 1 January → 31 December
Related guides
Euro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts