E. Sierras in Oct.?

[tacklejunkie]

Can you still do any hiking around west of the 395 in the Eastern Sierras in late October or is there already too much snow by then usually?

I think I have a slot to go up there oct 29th but I'm wondering what will be closed around the bishop/mammoth area. Maybe even Lone Pine. I'd like to go find some browns and brookies while I'm there. If not I suppose sticking to the lower O for a few days wouldn't be such a bad break :Surprised:

[tacklejunkie]

PS..
Think I'm going to the Sequoias tomorrow! Hwy 180 or something. Anyone know any places to fish up there?

[chris]

i think there's places you could get to that would not be snowed in if we have a mild fall. i know of at least one spot

[tacklejunkie]

Sweet,
so maybe I still have a chance at a nice cool hike. I've been known to fish the creeks in the snow around here in 20-30* weather so hopefully that will serve as some preparation if necessary. :LOL: Don't think I've ever caught any brookies that I clearly remember (besides possibly years ago when I didn't know the difference in Sierra Nevada) and would love to go out searching some inlets/outlets/creeks for some when I finally get to go up there.

[chris]

yeah i wish i could make a trip up there soon but i'll be stuck around here for a month then the lobster season is going to start and the lobster taste to good to leave alone to long

i always have better luck catching brookies around the creeks in the june loop or always get em in the tioga pass, but the pass is going to close earlier then everything else

[gwjones00]

Chris - it's really hit or miss that late in the season. In the last 10 years, Tioga has only been closed once in October, and that was in 2004 (http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm). BUt it *can * happen. The bigger issue is that a lot of marinas close in the middle of October (Grant Lake, Silver Lake, etc.) as well as some of the restaurants in the area. Not to mention that it *can* be really cold at that time of year. All that being said, I was up there in November about 3 years ago when it was absolutely fabulous.

Keep a watch on the weather as time gets closer....

[fishing_addict]

PS..
Think I'm going to the Sequoias tomorrow! Hwy 180 or something. Anyone know any places to fish up there?
Check out Hume Lake....

Opps, that was yesterday

[tacklejunkie]

:LOL: Thanks.
Managed to swing by Hume. Saw people catching but didn't stick around long. Cool lake though! kind of a mission to get back there.

[dockboy]

Dude, 20 can be the high in the East some October days. I doubt Tioga or any of the high passes will be open. A nice short hike (maybe 2 miles tops) is Gem Lake over at the Cold Creek Trailhead in the Mammoth Lakes loop. Should be open. So should the hike-to lakes in the June Lakes loop. Maybe if its a drier fall Tioga would be open. If so, I would hit up the Saddlebag area. Ought to be awesome if its not closed up.

I hear you on fishing in 20 degrees here in SoCal. I'm up on the north side of the San Gabriels near Valyermo. We get 3-5 feet of snow every couple winters. My parents think I'm crazy when its snowing and I pull out the rods. :LOL: But the Sierras are different. The fishing is awesome in fall, but the cold turns people off. Its my favorite time to fish. The Upper Owens will be rocking that time of year. Its always is. My best fish of the year come in the time around early November. Cold weather doesn't stop these fish from biting. Two years ago in November we came up, and proceeded to witness the first snow flurries of the year. The next day I arrived at the river to 5 degree temps with 3-4" of snow on the ground. Ended up being one of my best days out on the Upper O with 40+ fish. And last year I was fishing through 25 mph winds around the same time at 20 degrees not including wind chill. Once again, the bite was on. :Smile:

The Lower Owens is always good that time of year to. I like the Gorge more, especially towards PV after the powerplant. Caught some nice fish out of there that time of year. If you really have the itch for brookies, Twin Lakes in Mammoth has'em. Its the only major lake in the Loop where I've done well on the brookies. I know Mamie has some good ones too, just never fish it enough to seriously put my effort there.

[fndaway66]

Kirman. 1 hour hike (fire road) with your float tube or you can mountain bike it and your catching big brookies and cutts.

[madhatter]

I fish and hike the Sierras nearly every Fall and it's been quite pleasant thus far... Last year, I went up near the end of October and Tioga was still open and the mountains only had a dusting of snow. The Fall is the best season to be up there, IMO.

[fishing_addict]

I was up in Bridgeport (another hour north of Mammoth) last year in the middle of October and it was perfect weather. Day temps were in the low 70's and nights were around 40. Only had one really chilly night there when it dropped down to freezing and the first snow had not even fell yet. We would have stayed even longer except that the campground was closing for the season so we had to boogie out of there. I'm hoping it will be similar this year when we head up.:Big Grin:

[Badfish2]

I've fished in the sierra when it was less than 15 degrees outside,.. don't be a wuss. Weather shouldn't stop you. There's almost never "too much" snow on the ground in October.. follow the storms from the pacific.. if it doesn't drop more than 2'' of rain in the central valley, it won't even make it to the eastern side of the sierra .. rain shadow effect kills storms in most of the sierra unless they are big big storms. Mammoth area tends to get more snow and rain though, IN fact, there's a chance of snow in mammoth late this week.

[Badfish2]

Oh and October is the best time to fish the sierra period.. don't miss out

[Koshaw]

I hear the owens river is still fishable in winter and 395 (main road) never closes is that correct? Only the upper mountain areas? IE South Lake, Intake II, North Lake, Sabrina etc?

[dockboy]

I believe almost all the watersheds south of Mono county are open year round. However, higher elevation areas like the Bishop Creek drainage are usually frozen over or snowed in by mid-December. This year, ice-out on South Lake and Sabrina came right around the April opener for Mono. With the upper elevation lakes out of action, you are really left with Owens river drainage, and the smaller, lower elevation creeks.
I said almost, because now the entire Owens is open year round now, with the exception of special regs area below Benton Crossing which closes on the 31st of September and does not reopen till the season opener. The sections below Crowley, and Pleasant Valley will remain the same in their regs, but the Upper Owens above Benton is now catch and release, barbless only regs from the end of the regular season to the next season opener. The same regs also apply to Hot Creek, Bridgeport Lake, and the East Walker. During the implementation of these new regs this year, however, only Hot Creek fished well during the duration.