Fly Fishing Hot Creek California
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery: We can get flies to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Please see the bottom of this column for ordering options.
We also have custom Perfect Fly selections in 3 different price ranges for this stream that come with or without fly boxes. They make excellent gifts. Click Here To Order or Call us at 800 594 4726 or email us at sales@perfectflystore.com.
Type of Stream
Spring Creek
Species
Rainbow Trout
Brown Trout
(Wild and Stocked)
Size
Small
Location
Eastern Sierra
Nearest Towns
Mammoth Lakes
Season
Year – round
Access:
Good but very limited
Non-Resident License
State of California
Recommended Tackle & Gear
Fly Line:
5 or 6 weight
Leaders:
Dry fly: 9 & 12 ft., 5 or 6X, Nymphing:
71/2 ft., 3 or 4X, Streamers 0-2X
Tippets:
Dry fly: 5 or 6X, Nymphing: 3 or 4X,
Streamer 0-2X
Best Fly Rods:
Perfect Fly Superb Five or Ultimate Six
Fly Reels:
For 5/6 fly line
Fly Floatants and Misc Items:
Floatants, KISS Strike Indicators
Tools & Accessories:
Nippers, forceps, retractors, etc.
Fly and Gear ordering and delivery:
Email us at (sales@perfectflystore.com) with the dates you will be fishing and we will send you a list of our fly recommendations. We can get flies and gear to you within two to three business days from the time you place your order via Priority Mail. If you provide a budget for flies, we will select them to match the budget and get them to you on time for your trip. Your can also call us at 800-594-4726 and we will help you decide what flies and gear to use. All orders are shipped free in the U.S. If under a $100 order requiring Priority mail is a charge of only $8.10. Orders over a $100 are shipped free via Priority Mail.
Copyright 2013 James Marsh
Hot Creek, California- Fishing Report – April 19, 2024
Red (blood) and light green midges with the larva and pupa rigged in tandem have been working very good when the levels have been okay. We sell these pre-rigged for those who have trouble tying tiny flies. Blue-winged olives, Skwala stoneflies and March Browns are also hatching.
Rate: 44 cfs
Afternoon Water Temperature: 52
Clarity: Mostly clear
Weather:
Trout Flies:
Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
Blue-winged Olives: size 16, 18 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
Midges: Light Green and Red (Blood) midges sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adult. Our larva and pupa midge flies, pre-rigged in tandem, are very popular here. You can fish them under a strike indicator keeping the larva fly near the bottom. https://perfectflystore.com/product/pre-rigged-tandem-midge-larva-pupa-tippet
Scuds and sowbugs, size 14/16
Strategies, Techniques and Tips:
Note: It is legal to mash the barbs down on hooks with barbs. They do not have to be special hooks without barbs. You can do that with pliers or forceps.
Fly Fishing Hot Creek California: This spring creek has some of the highest fish populations in the country. Located in volcano country, this little stream is very unique. Its water comes from geothermal springs which mixes with the cold water from melting snow of Mammoth Creek. The results provide a water chemistry that sustains a very healthy aquatic insect population. The population of wild trout runs as high as 8,000 to 10,000 trout per mile according to the California Department of Game and Fish. One great thing about Hot Creek that will help insure it stays that way is that it is open only to barbless hook, catch and release, fly fishing.Most spring creeks have smooth surface water that is extra difficult to fish. Although Hot Creek is no pushover by any means, it does provide some other types of water such as runs and riffles more typical of a freestone stream than a spring creek. This diversity of water flows makes it a much more interesting stream to fish. Another good thing about Hot Creek is that its high alkaline water and high aquatic insect population provides a lot to great dry fly fishing. Hatches are common and occur throughout most of the year. The stream is heated by warm to hot springs. Some are visible in the lower fishing section. Because of the hot springs, the water temperature gradually increases the farther you go downstream to the point it becomes too warm for trout.Fly fishing Hot Creek wouldn’t be considered easy. The trout see a lot of flies and anglers as well as other visitors. The trout can become very selective to a particular insect that is hatching or about to hatch. Even though it is a little tough to fish at times, it usually pays off with plenty of good memories decent success. Like most spring creeks, you must stay hidden from the trout and that isn’t exactly easy on Hot Creek because there is little cover along the stream. You much stay low and make good cast. It takes long, light leaders and tippets. The trout have seen plenty of flies as well as anglers and are easily spooked.The stream not only holds a tremendous population of rainbow and brown trout, some of them grow to a large size. Fish up to and over 20 inches are caught. Even though the fishing can be difficult at times, it can produce some nice trout when fished correctly. We think it offers a good challenge yet really doesn’t penalize anyone that makes good fly selections and good presentations. There is a large amount of the stream that is on the property of Hot Creek Ranch. It has some excellent fishing as well as cabins, guides and other services for anglers. It is a pay to play ranch but may be well worth it just to not be crowed. A good thing about it is they have allowed only dry fly fishing since the 1960s. That shows the owners are taking good care of their part of the stream and are offering anglers even more challenge and fun provided they are successful. The other area the public fishing starts at the lower end of the Hot Creek Ranch. This is the largest and most popular section of the stream to fish. It is also the most crowded of the two public sections. The same basic water temperatures and steady flows throughout the year make the water stay nearly the same from season to season.
Hot Creek Hatches and Trout Flies: Our information on aquatic insects is based on our stream samples of larvae and nymphs, not guess work. We base fly suggestions on imitating the most plentiful and most available insects and other foods at the particular time you are fishing. Unlike the generic fly shop trout flies, we have specific imitations of all the insects in Hot Creek and in all stages of life that are applicable to fishing. If you want to fish better, more realistic trout flies, have a much higher degree of success, give us a call. We not only will help you with selections, you will learn why, after trying Perfect Flies, 92% of the thousands of our customers will use nothing else. 1-800-594-4726 Hot Creek has a huge number of aquatic insects due to the high PH level of the water. Hatches occur throughout the year. The water temperatures remain about the same throughout the year so the hatches occur at different times than you may expect them to occur. Don’t overlook midges on this small stream. They hatch year-round and trout can be taken on imitations of them when nothing else works. The first mayflies to appear are the Blue-winged Olives. Different species of the BWOs will hatch just about all year long until around the first of November. These are the most consistent hatches.There are some Golden Stoneflies that will hatch from about the middle of April through the month of May. Other than that, the Little Yellow Stoneflies, called Yellow Sallies sometimes, will be the only other stonefly hatches of any significance. They hatch from about the first of June through September. Mahogany Duns start hatching about the first of June. This hatch can last for up to three month. At about the same time the PMDs, or Pale Morning Duns, start hatching. This is a good hatch that can last until near the end of August. Species of Grannon caddisflies will hatch in September and October. The October Caddisflies also hatch around the month of October. Trico mayflies are one of the better hatches to occur on Hot Creek. They start about the first of August and hatch until near the end of October. Don’t overlook the terrestrial insects. Grass lines the banks of the stream and hopper fishing can be good during the summer month. Imitations of ants and beetles will also work.Scuds are one of the main items on the trout’s menu. Imitations of them can be effective throughout the year. At times, trout can be taken on streamers. We suggest you fish them during low light periods when the skies are cloudy as well as early and late in the day. We recommend our own line of “Perfect Flies” for Hot Creek because they are the most realistic imitations of insect you can purchase. They are also the most effective flies you can purchase. If you haven’t already tried them, we recommend you do. You will be very pleased at the results. Caddisflies are very important on Hot Creek. There are several species that all start hatching about the same time. The Green Sedges are one of the first ones. Imitations of their larva, know as Rock Worms, will produce just about anytime of the year. These caddisfles normally start hatching about the last of May. Along with the Green Sedges you will find large hatches of Spotted Sedges. They will hatch throughout the summer up until around the first of September. Their Little Sisters usually start about a month after the Spotted Sedges and hatch until the end of August.