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lake crowley trout

There are many lakes, rivers, and streams to fish in the Eastern Sierra’s, but because of the low water conditions, Lake Crowley is probably one of your best bets right now. Located 25 miles north of Bishop, Lake Crowley is a man reservoir used to supply water and power to the Los Angles area. Crowley may not have the beauty of the high mountain lakes in the area, but what it does have is fat hard fighting trout. With a huge population of chironimids (midges), the trout done freely on these aquatic insects and grow to healthy proportions. Even 12 inch fish look like over inflated footballs. If that’s not enough to dine on, the lake is also home to the Sacramento perch. The perch spawn in late spring/summer and their fry hatch in late summer thru September. This is a good time to strip a perch fry imitation or a leech pattern for some arm straightening action. The fish at Crowley hit the streamer so hard that if your not holding on, they will take your fly rod right out of your hands. There have been a few anglers that have experienced this bitter sweet event. While stripping streamers is my favorite way to fish Crowley, midge fishing is certainly the most popular and productive method. Using a floating line, indicator, two midges, and a leader anywhere from 12 to 25 feet depending on the water depth. This method will keep you in the fish for some exciting battles. If you happen to hook a Crowley rainbow these fish love to jump and get some air. Nothing like a fat 20 plus inch bow catching some air, they sound like 2×4’s slapping the water. Popular midges include red blood midge, zebra midge, tiger midge, and when the hatch starts switch to white or grey. If your looking for a change of pace and want a few fish for the table, hook a few perch. The perch will hit midges and streamers so no need to change your set-up. They get big in Crowley and a couple of deep fried perch fillets with some cold IPA’s from Mammoth Brewing Company is a great way to end the day. Now that your armed with info head up to this jewel of the Eastern Sierra.