Bishop Creek FIsh & Trail Report

It's Peak Season Party Time Y'all!

 

Independence Day has come and gone and with the middle of July just a few days away, there is no mistaking that the peak season is here. Families are busy fishing and kayaking, hikers are hitting the trails in greater numbers, and the overnight parking at the trailheads is starting to fill on the weekends, a sure sign that the backpackers and thru hikers are executing the plans they've been making all off-season. The weather has been a tad warmer than usual with daytime highs at Lake Sabrina just passing the 80-degree mark. When the breeze is present this is a very pleasant temperature, but we suggest that hikers get an early start just for good measure. Even 80 can feel stifling when hiking on exposed sections of trail.

 

With the dry winter we had this year, everything seems like it’s a few weeks (or more) ahead of schedule. All the passes are open, the lakes are thawed, the trails are not only clear but dry, and creek crossings that might normally be sketchy and swollen with runoff are fairy easy going. That’s not to say one shouldn’t be prepared for a variety of conditions and inclement weather, I mean we had snow flurries just a couple weeks ago….so use your noodle and be safe....but overall conditions are pretty darn ideal.

 

We’re pleased to report that the water level at Lake Sabrina is still coming up, albeit slowly. Considering California is in year 3 of a drought, and the snowpack was extremely disappointing, we are VERY happy with the amount of water in the lake this summer. It seems that thus far water managers have done a swell job of storing water where USFS visitors can use it for recreation (that’s all of us anglers, kayakers, boaters etc.) while still meeting their required releases (the water that goes to SoCal). The water level is currently just below the bottom of the concrete launch ramp and creeping up the shore maybe an inch a day. If we had to guess, the reservoir will hit its peak soon. How do we know? We don’t, but we cheated and talked to a certain Mr. Rick Apted and that was his opinion so we’re gonna go with that LOL.

 

While we’re talking about lake levels, we’ll reiterate that South Lake is near minimum pool (LOW as low can be) and we aren’t offering any services over there this year. There seems to be quite a lot of confusion as to why this is, but we'd like to assure you all that it’s better than the alternative. It’s a huge bummer for sure, and we hate to see it that way, but with a 3rd dud winter in a row, there simply wasn't enough water content in the snowpack to fill both South and Sabrina. So, water managers smartly stored what limited water there is at Sabrina, which not only has a larger basin of lakes to feed it, but also takes roughly half the amount of water to fill. This way, at least we can stock fish, launch boats, kayak, and paddleboard at one of our two favorite lakes. If they stored water at South Lake, it wouldn't be enough to do much good for recreation anyway and they'd have to let more out of Lake Sabrina to make up for it which would mean Sabrina wouldn't be much good either.

I think we can all agree that having one empty reservoir is better than two empty reservoirs.

Now that you’re all experts on water storage, FISH REPORT TIME.

 

We haven’t seen any DFW fish plants for a few weeks now, no doubt due to the latest round of pesky bacterial outbreaks at the Owens Valley hatcheries and the logistical challenges with the Oregon fish the state has purchased to offset fish supply shortages. As far as fish stocking goes, Mono County from Deadman Summit north to Bridgeport really got the short end of the stick early on in the season so we assume they’re first in line…and rightfully so.

 

Thankfully for us, we got loaded up by the DFW pretty darn good early on and on top of the holdovers from last season, the bite at Lake Sabrina has held its own. We have seen the fish counts slow, but the vast majority of boats going out are catching fish and even shore anglers are doing ok. There are quite a few of those Idaho fish being caught still including the larger 2 to 3lb models. Never fear, more fish are on the way, including at least one additional load of Idaho Rainbows in addition to the 2 we already have coming. We’re also working behind the scenes on some additional funding for more…can’t have too many fish to spread around the canyon right? We'll say more when we know more.

 

As far as tactics at the lake – it’s still dealer’s choice. The folks that like trolling lures like Needlefish and Thomas Buoyants are getting ‘em, the bait n’ wait folks are doing damage with powerbait or nightcrawlers, the mini-jig peeps are crushing and fly anglers are finding willing biters. It’s not wide open, but all things considered it’s worth spending a day on the lake chasing trout.

The creek is getting a little thin on fish for those who aren’t fly fishing. Most of the obvious spots where the stockers reside are tough, but for those casting a fly – lots of little Browns & Brookies are hiding in the shadows and undercuts or cruising the harder to reach pools where most anglers don’t go. If you're a creek fisher who's looking for a few pan-sized stockers for dinner, the secret isn't really a secret...cover a lot of water and eventually you'll find the fish that other's don't have the gumption to find.

 

Lake Sabrina Store & Boat Rental Schedule

7am - 6pm Daily Through Labor Day

8am – 6pm Labor Day to October

Boat reservations can be made here.

You can also call or email for availability.

 

Current fleet is 6 PONTOONS , six 8hp motorboats, three 15hp push-start motorboats, 4 kayaks, and 1 Canoe. We expect to keep adding boats until there’s no more room on the dock or the beach.

The Sabrina Café…

 

The last dominoes fall this week. Expect an announcement before the next fish report!!!

The wait for pie is almost over gang…..Dutch Apple, Cherry & Blueberry will be the first three out of the ovens!!!!!!! See, we’re that close.(YAY)

 

For Cabin Rentals visit the Parchers Resort website. The Parchers Store on the South Fork of Bishop Creek is open daily from 8am to 6pm.

 

Weather Updates and Forecasts for Our Specific Longitude and Latitude Can Be Found at www.LakeSabrinaBoatLanding.com and clicking the puffy little cloud below our phone number..

With the increase in foot traffic already starting, it's a good time to remind everyone to PLEASE PAY ATTENTION to, and more importantly ADHERE TO, signage. There is day use parking, overnight parking, overflow parking, places where parking is prohibited for the safety of everyone, signs about where to put trash and where you can and can’t have a fire. It takes one moron ignoring the parking signs to start an avalanche of copycats making a summer weekend a parking nightmare for everyone. It takes one jerk with a match to end the entire season or a whole lot worse.

All USFS roads and campgrounds in the White Mountain Ranger District are currently open.

 

Cheers,

Jared, Seth, Austin, Kerry, Judy, and the rest of the Parchers Resort & Lake Sabrina Staff