Be it Burney, Bridgeport or Bishop, anglers headed to one of California’s famed trout fishing destinations for the traditional season opener Saturday, April 26 will encounter near-optimal conditions with many popular lakes, streams and creeks accessible and stocked with trout.
A quarter-way into the 21st century, California’s traditional trout season opener the last Saturday in April endures as one of the more celebrated and anticipated dates on the outdoor calendar. Fishing begins one hour before sunrise on Saturday.
“The outlook is positive considering the above-average precipitation and snowpack this winter,” said Sam Plemons, a Senior Environmental Scientist based in CDFW’s Redding, Northern Region headquarters. “Generally speaking, this means north state streams will stay colder, longer into the season, which will be good for trout fishing.”
The Eastern Sierra is the epicenter of California’s trout fishing activity on the season opener, luring urban and suburban denizens from Southern California north along U.S. Highway 395 to the breathtaking and trout-filled waters of Inyo and Mono counties in an annual tradition many call “Fishmas.”
“We’re looking forward to an even better season than last year,” said Nick Buckmaster, a Senior Environmental Scientist based out of CDFW’s Bishop Field Office. “Thanks to our normal winter, we expect that fish last year have overwintered well and should be ready to catch. Thanks to the favorable weather and hard work of our hatchery staff, we’ll be able to stock more fish in more lakes, and our hatcheries are operating at full production.”
CDFW’s eastern Sierra trout hatcheries are operating at normal capacities having recovered from disease issues in previous years. Favorable weather conditions have allowed CDFW trout hatcheries to stock almost 800,000 trout statewide in March and April in in preparation for the April 6 opener.
