For fly fishers, the prime section of the East Walker River is a tailwater, flowing north out of Bridgeport Reservoir and traveling across the state line into Nevada. In this stretch, the growth rate of the East Walker’s rainbows and browns is remarkable, due to an abundance of aquatic insects and forage fish. The East Walker holds the largest river fish of the eastern Sierra and has a long-standing reputation for trophy-size brown trout.
Bridgeport Reservoir collects flows from six eastern Sierra drainages: Buckeye Creek, Robinson Creek, Cattle Creek, Green Creek, Virginia Creek, and from other small streams. The shallow reservoir transforms the clean water from these tributaries into a biologically rich soup before the river exits Bridgeport Dam to create the fertile tailwater. The 1.2-mile section from the dam to the Highway 182 bridge is known as the Miracle Mile and is by far the most popular section of the river.
Below the Highway 182 bridge, the river flows for about six miles through a variety of pools, runs, and pocket water, then crosses the Nevada border and enters the private Sceirine Ranch, which offers several miles of secluded pay-to-play water. Three miles downstream from the Sceirine Ranch, the river runs through the Rosaschi Ranch, once private, now open to the public, with good roadside access. Eight miles into Nevada, the river makes a sharp 90-degree bend at the Elbow, marking the end to the best fishing, then eventually merges with the West Walker River before finally flowing at its terminus into Walker Lake.
The Miracle Mile
In the Miracle Mile, the famed section of the river from the dam to where the highway crosses, the water is so rich in nutrients from its time in the reservoir that in the summer, the river takes on a tannic, stained coloration with a distinctive brownish hue, so much so that every time you hook a rainbow you’ll think it’s a brown, since the silvery flash looks golden in the amber-tinted water. This nourishes the river’s prolific aquatic insect population, which includes an abundance of midges, mayflies, caddisflies, and stoneflies. It’s the most frequented stretch of the river by far, and for good reasons: it’s easily accessible (either directly from Highway 182 or via short dirt roads that lead to the river), there are rough anglers’ trails that head up and down the river, and it’s loaded with rainbow and brown trout. California Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists estimate that the trout population is roughly 60/40 percent browns to rainbows, but you’ll probably catch more rainbows than browns. The trout average 15 inches but can grow much, much larger, including lunkers over 20 inches in length, mainly due to the abundance of minnows and forage fish available to them. After they reach about 17 inches, the rainbows and browns become piscivorous, supplementing their diet by feasting on native tui chubs and nonnative Sacramento perch fry and carp fry that have flushed through the exit pipe under the dam, where the water pours into a large, churning pool known as the Big Hole.
The Big Hole has a reputation for producing huge browns, especially during the fall, when they congregate in a futile effort to spawn. Without the right gravel necessary for successful reproduction, any spawning efforts are futile. The only successful spawning that occurs on the East Walker is downstream, in Nevada, from the Rosaschi Ranch to the Elbow, where there is suitable spawning gravel.
At the Big Hole, the water swirls in a gigantic counterclockwise whirlpool, making it a challenge for fly fishers. I’ve had success there fishing weighted baitfish patterns on a slow-sinking intermediate line, focusing on individual sections of the competing currents and finding a section where, with a few big mends, I can get a long, drag-free drift, then strip the fly back erratically. Another technique that works well there is with a floating line: pick a short section of uniform current, then dead-drift a baitfish pattern or streamer under an indicator through the pool, as if it’s a dazed baitfish shocked by its turbulent passage through the big pipe.
After the Big Hole, the next half-mile section of the Miracle Mile has some of the best nymphing water on the river. Here the river flows through a straight, willow-lined corridor, the initial section consisting of boulder-studded pocket water, followed by several long riff les broken up occasionally by more rocks. The banks are lined with vegetation, sometimes overhanging the river, so in this section, it’s imperative to wade the river, which can be challenging because of the slippery rocks, especially if the flows are above 300 cubic feet per second. Good wading boots are indispensable here, and a wading staff comes in handy if you’re not very sure-footed. Czech nymphing, short-line nymphing, and drifting nymphs under an indicator all work well in this section.
Then the river curves through a meadowlike section as it meanders down to the Highway 182 bridge, forming deeper and slower pools with undercut banks wherever there is a bend in the river. This section has some of the best streamer and dry-fly fishing on the entire river, particularly after the sun sets over the sagebrush hills to the west and the river goes into the shade.
If the flows are under 300 cfs in the early summer, the evening caddis hatches can be nothing short of prolific, and if the fish are rising, it’s game on to target one of fly fishing’s most classic scenarios: a big brown on a dry fly.
The Canyon
Below the Highway 182 bridge, the river’s character changes as it flows into a canyon with some of the most diverse water on the river: fast runs, plunge pools, pocket water, and some slow, deep pools. Highway 182 parallels the river on its west side, and an old dirt road (which you can walk along) parallels the river on its east side, beginning from a parking area just downstream from the Highway 182 bridge and crossing the river 3.4 miles downstream at a second bridge. Just above that point, 3.3 miles downstream from the dam, is a wide, deep, and slow section known as Murphy’s Pond, which has produced many trophy-sized browns over the years.
The canyon section is far less crowded than the Miracle Mile, and on most days, you’ll have miles of river all to yourself. If you want to do a little exploring, there’s a lifetime of spots to discover in the canyon, with very little fishing pressure and plenty of fish exceeding 20 inches.
The Ranches
Below the canyon, the river f lows into a vast meadow in a broad valley, passing through the private Sceirine Ranch property, with its several miles of prime water. The pay-to-play fishing here is by reservation only. Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport is the booking agent for the ranch.
I’ve had many magical days here with my wife, Yvonne, when we’ve had the river all to ourselves, exploring this amazing stretch of the East Walker. During moderate flows (50 to 300 cfs), nymphing in the riffles and plunge pools usually produces nonstop action. During higher flows (above 300 cfs), swinging and stripping streamers and baitfish patterns in the deeper pools and runs can produce good results, triggering the larger fish. After the Sceirine Ranch private water, public access returns as the East Walker flows into the Rosaschi Ranch. The Rosaschi Ranch reopened to the public when it was deeded to the US Forest Service. It’s well managed by the Nevada Department of Wildlife. The slower water and numerous gravel bars of the ranch allow natural spawning to take place there, and NDOW estimates the wild brown trout population at over one thousand trout per mile.
To access Rosaschi Ranch, drive 10.1 miles north from the Bridgeport Reservoir dam on Highway 182 (designated as Highway 338 once you reach Nevada), then turn right at Sweetwater Road (look for the sign that says To Hawthorne). Then, 1.4 miles down the dirt road, you’ll find a parking lot at the bridge where the road crosses the river. Trails lead up and down the river to some of the best streamer water on the East Walker.
If you continue down the dirt road, it veers away from the river for a few miles, then rejoins the river once again at the Elbow, where it flows through a rugged, isolated canyon. The trout population at the Elbow is similar to the Rosaschi Ranch section (eleven hundred trout per mile), with fewer wild browns and more stocked rainbows, but just a few miles downstream, the numbers drop precipitously to several hundred fish per mile, and the good fishing ends.
Hatches
The East Walker is home to an abundance of stoneflies, mayflies, and caddisflies, and hatches are plentiful throughout the angling season. Midges hatch year-round. The first to hatch during the angling year are the size 10 Skwala stoneflies, along with sporadic emergences of Baetis mayflies (Blue-Winged Olives). In early May, the more prolific Ephemerella mayflies — Pale Morning Duns — begin to emerge, particularly on cloudy days. It’s a strong hatch that lasts well into the summer. The tried-and-true standard nymph imitation is the Pheasant Tail Nymph, mostly in the smaller sizes, 16 to 18, with gold bead heads. For dry flies, the all-purpose Sparkle Dun, Adams, or any tan or cream-colored parachute pattern in sizes 16 to 20 are good choices to imitate these mayflies.
The largest flies on the river are the Golden Stoneflies. They don’t hatch in great numbers, but begin to show up in the spring and then hatch sporadically throughout the summer. Their nymphs are favored by the trout, best imitated by stonefly nymphs in sizes 6 to 8 and the adults by a large Madam X or Stimulator pattern.
The river also is well known for its prolific caddis hatches, which occur all summer long, particularly during warm evenings when the sun is off the water and the wind is calm. Several kinds of caddisflies inhabit the river. In their larval and pupal stages, uncased rock worms, including those in the Rhyacophila (Olive Sedge) and Hydropsyche (Spotted Sedge) genera, move across the riverbed by rappelling on thin, silklike strands attached to rocks, and case makers in the genus Glossosoma (Saddle Case Maker) and Brachycenturus (Grannom) build cases from pebbles and aquatic plant material. The best imitations for these stages of their lives, all in sizes 12 to 18, are the Green Rock Worm, Chamois Nymph, and Olive Hare’s Ear, while good case-maker imitations are the Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear and Peeking Caddis.
During emergence, a caddis pupa generates air bubbles between its body and pupal shuck, which helps propel it to the surface, and trout key in on this stage of their life cycle, because the bugs seldom ride the surface after emergence, but pop out like missiles fired from a submarine. In his Sierra Trout Guide, Ralph Cutter offers great advice for fishing caddis emergers, recommending you coat “a fuzzy nymph like a Hare’s Ear or Bird’s Nest in a dry fly floatant The floatant repels water and air bubbles cling tenaciously to the nymph, just as they do on the caddis.” That works, but my choice for an emerging caddis imitation is La Fontaine’s Sparkle Pupa, which mimics a bubble-encrusted nymph as it attempts to buoy itself toward the surface. Ralph’s E/C Caddis (emergent/crippled caddis) also imitates a caddis that’s trapped in its pupal shuck and unable to emerge. It’s a great summer pattern for the East Walker. Caddis adults don’t spend a lot of time on the water at emergence, but return to it to lay eggs. The standard Elk Hair Caddis is the best imitation — just have an assortment in sizes from 12 to 18 to match what you see on the water.
From August through October is the best time to fish terrestrials. Slapping a grasshopper imitation right against an undercut bank will usually get a fish’s attention. Another good tactic is to drift a foam beetle or Chernobyl Ant with a small nymph on a dropper.
The river also hosts a large crayfish population. During high flows, I’ve had success using a Dead Drift Crayfish bounced along the river bottom or dead-drifted in the current on a tippet heavily weighted with a couple of 3/0 split shot two feet up from the fly. I’ve caught fish that way at flows up to 900 cfs, when most fly fishers figured the river was blown out.
Regulations
Careful management and strict regulations have been instrumental in the East Walker becoming the world-class fishery it is today. Prior to March 1, 2021, regulations on the California section of the East Walker prescribed barbless artificial lures or flies only, and fishing was allowed year-round. Year-round fishing was first allowed beginning in December of 2006. From the dam to the Nevada border, you could keep one fish over 18 inches during the general season, from the last Saturday in April through November 15, then from November 16 until the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, it was catch-and-release fishing only. After March 1, 2021, the California regulations changed. Fishing is now allowed only from the last Saturday in April to November 15, but relaxation of the previously strict regulations for a primarily catch-and-release river generated controversy: the limit was increased to two trout over 18 inches, and barbed hooks are now allowed.
After the new regulations went into effect, many East Walker aficionados were baffled by the CDFW’s decision, supposedly made for the betterment of the fishery. An incredulous Jim Reid, proprietor of Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport, generated a Change.org petition that garnered 1,627 supporters, which he forwarded to the CDFW. In the petition, Reid wrote, “I believe, as do many other anglers who fish the East Walker, that these regulation changes, in particular the removal of the barbless hook requirement, will ultimately have a very adverse effect on the quality of the fishery.” Carmine Decico, in another petition to the CDFW, wrote that “allowing a 2 fish 18-inch take will deplete the fish population rapidly Barbed hooks will ensure that more f ish are caught and not released because they have been harmed.” This concern about the potential degradation of the fishery due to the new regulations is shared by many. “After all, this is one of the very few rivers one can hope to catch AND release a very large trophy fish,” wrote Decico. However, so far, even with a vociferous outcry from concerned anglers, the CDFW has not modified the new regulations.
On the Nevada side, at Sceirine Ranch and Rosaschi Ranch, regulations remain catch-and-release angling only, with only artificial flies or lures and with a single barbless hook. Downstream from the ranches, at the Elbow, the regulations revert to general regulations, with a five-fish limit.
River Flows
Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “ You cannot step into the same river twice.” In the case of the East Walker, the ever-changing f lows are controlled by the Walker River Irrigation District (WRID), which oversees storing water in Bridgeport Reservoir and releasing it for irrigation for farming downstream in Nevada. The WRID minimum flow requirement is an anemic 20 cfs. The highest recorded flow was 1,910 cfs in 1997. Late in the spring of 2023, due to melting snowpack (which was more than 300 percent of normal for the Walker Basin above Bridgeport), flows consistently exceeded 1,200 cfs, breaking daily records dating back a hundred years.
Ideal flows for fishing the river are between 75 and 250 cfs, with a consistent flow over a period of days. If the flow drops or rises abruptly more than 50 cfs, it puts the fish down. Over 350 cfs, wading becomes difficult, if not dangerous, particularly in the Miracle Mile, with its slippery rocks. During low-snowfall years, midsummer flows can drop below 50 cfs, creating a situation where high water temperatures adversely affect fish that are hooked and played, resulting in fish mortality. During these conditions, it makes sense for anglers to observe a voluntary “hoot owl” closure, fishing only during the early morning when the water is cooler. Carry a stream thermometer and do not fish when the water exceeds 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Disaster Strikes
On December 30, 2000, a tanker truck owned by Advanced Fuel Filtrations Systems, Inc. (AFFS) overturned on Highway 182, resulting in a spill of 3,608 gallons of fuel oil, the majority of which flowed into the East Walker River just below the dam. A report by the East Walker River Trustee Council concluded that “it is likely that nearly all the birds and mammals that regularly came into contact with the water within the first ten miles of the spill zone were either directly or indirectly killed by the spill.” Some estimates calculated the fish mortality as high as 98 percent in the affected water.
California Trout rallied its members to write letters to the California Department of Fish and Game urging rapid restoration efforts to protect “one of the finest fisheries in the state.” In 2004, an out-of-court settlement agreement was reached between AFFS and the trustees. AFFS agreed to pay the trustees $418,000. Of this sum, $68,000 went to the CDFG as reimbursement for its assessment and study of the damage, and the remainder was paid to the Department of the Interior to be used for restoration.
The initial cleanup took months, hampered by winter conditions, but the damage was extensive, and it took two years for the macroinvertebrates to rebound, and after periodic restocking, it took 5 years for the fish to recover their pre-spill numbers and size. While the East Walker took a big hit, the river proved resilient, and ten years after the spill, many claimed the fishing to be better than ever.
Hope Springs Eternal
Just knowing that there are big fish in the East Walker makes every cast more exciting. According to Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods, who keeps his finger on the pulse of the river and what’s being caught there, the largest brown trout ever caught in the East Walker weighed 13 pounds and the largest rainbow 9 pounds. In the spring of 2018, a fly fisher caught and released an 11-pound brown just below the dam, and in May 2021, Tom Berg caught and released a 35-inch brown just upstream of the Highway 182 bridge on a San Juan Worm drifted under an indicator.
Several years ago, I was drifting a small nymph under a white foam indicator at one of my favorite spots on the Miracle Mile. I always use a white-colored indicator on the East Walker, because it blends in with the river’s white air bubbles. I cast upstream, then squinted to find my indicator bobbing along in the bright conditions. When I spotted it, I also noticed that my nymph hadn’t sunk, but was trailing a few feet behind the indicator, just under the surface. At that instant, a big trout rose and ate the nymph, I set the hook, and the fish made a spectacular, upstream leap, clearing the water. It was the biggest rainbow I’d ever hooked on the East Walker or on any eastern Sierra river.
My wife, Yvonne, who had been relaxing on the bank, began videoing the fight. The fish made three strong runs, each time peeling line against the drag, using the strong current to its advantage. I tried not to pull too hard, not wanting to dislodge the size 18 barbless hook. Finally, as I drew the fish in closer, I grabbed my net. With my rod bent nearly 180 degrees, as I lifted the fish toward the net, the hook popped out. I made a last-ditch effort, a wild sweep of the net, but the fish already had bolted downstream. I furiously slapped my rod against the water and cursed at the sky. But I’ll be back, hoping for another chance at a big one. After all, on the East Walker, hope springs eternal.
If You Go…
To monitor river flows on the East Walker, go to https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/10293000. You can make a reservation for Sceirine Ranch through Ken’s Sporting Goods in Bridgeport, (760) 932-7707, www.kenssport.com. Ken’s also offers a great assortment of flies. The Sceirine Ranch is $100 per person, limited to a total of four rods on a couple miles of river. After you’ve secured your reservation, to get to the ranch, drive 8.4 miles downstream from the dam (into Nevada, so you’ll need a Nevada fishing license) and turn right into the second driveway on the ranch property. Park just before an old wooden bridge crosses the river. Trails lead upstream and downstream along the river from there.
— Bob Gaines
