Eastern High Sierra trout anglers who head north next month for the season opener are likely to find more fishing opportunities and open water than they have ever seen.

Normally the season opener greets anglers with frozen lakes at elevations above 8,000 feet and many popular streams not accessible because of snow packs.

Unless there is a major storm, the April 28 opener should find many areas wide open because of meager winter snow this season.

Carolyn Webb at Virginia Lakes Resort south of Bridgeport said spring has already arrived.

"Virginia Lakes Road was plowed to Rand Road on March 16th, a record for my 32 years of operation," she said. "The lakes are free of snow and only the ice remains, it's dark and Little Virginia has a small pocket of water open."

Webb also reports that Crowley Lake, probably the most popular opening weekend venue, is already free of ice, which sometimes only happens before the opener.

The Mammoth Lakes basin is still under snow, but roads may be plowed and open for opening weekend.

Webb said the June Lake loop road is open completely. June, Gull, Silver and Grant lakes are all free of ice, which is an extremely rare event.

The road to Tioga Pass may be plowed to Ellery Lake as early as April 15, and that schedule could be accelerated if temperatures warm.

To the south, Bishop Creek Basin will be wide open for the opener. Jared Smith at Parchers Resort said the road to South Lake should be plowed soon, and while there is still ice on the lake, it is melting fast and should offer open water to opening day anglers.

Gary Olson at Bishop Creek Lodge said last week that daytime temperatures were in the 60s.

"It feels like May," Olson said.

Because of the low snow levels and open roads, Olson said the California Department of Fish and Game will be able to stock the lakes and streams prior to the opening. That's quite a contrast to last year, when record snowfalls kept the Sierra locked in ice until almost June in some areas.

Ernie Cown
North County Times