Early thaw clears way for opener

FORECASTERS PREDICT sunny skies and mild temperatures Saturday, the opener of the Eastern Sierra general trout-fishing season. So pack an extra parka and gloves because openers often bring wild surprises.

On the bright side, short-term conditions appear prime throughout the region, where an early spring thaw below 8,000 feet has improved shoreline access and stirred fish from their long, cold slumber.

Such conditions bode well for those visiting Convict Lake. The Mono County fishery, tucked at 7,583 feet amid glacial peaks west of U.S. 395 and just north of Crowley Lake, produced the day’s largest trout last season -- an 11.1-pound rainbow caught by Chris Costen of Placentia -- and may again.

In early November, Convict received 512 rainbows running 2 to 7 pounds from Alpers Owens River Ranch. Fishermen caught fewer than a dozen of them before the Mono County season ended Nov. 15, and the holdovers will undoubtedly boost prospects.

On the downside, the long-range forecast contains some gloom and doom, thanks to an invasive and potentially destructive gastropod and to the sad shape of state finances.

New Zealand mud snails, advancing slowly in the Owens River, have been found on trout rancher Tim Alpers’ property and in some of his fish. Eager to stem the snails’ spread, the state Department of Fish and Game may allow Alpers’ famous rainbows only in “snail-positive” waters. “I’m sitting here with 18,000 beautiful 3- to 10-pound fish just waiting to make anglers happy,” laments Alpers, who typically begins planting his bigger fish in mid-May.

Meanwhile, the state’s hatchery system is reeling. Budget cuts and a hiring freeze have left Hot Creek Hatchery near Mammoth Lakes severely understaffed and among the facilities targeted for possible closure later this year. But the state maintains it will nearly meet this season’s delivery goals in the region.

Large trout can be seen breaking the mirrored surface of Convict, distorting the reflection of majestic Mt. Morrison, a 12,268-foot granite peak named after a Wells Fargo agent killed in an 1871 shootout with escaped convicts on the banks of what is now Convict Creek.

At Crowley, early midge hatches and surface feeding hint that five-fish limits of 1- to 6-pound rainbows will come fairly easily for up to 8,000 visitors expected Saturday.

To the southwest, in the Bishop Creek Canyon drainage, stream access is good below 8,500 feet and roads to Sabrina and South lakes are open. Prospective ice fishermen should be aware, though, especially at Sabrina, where cover is thin and breaking up in places. Ice fishing will also take place at nearby North Lake, Rock Creek Lake, Mammoth’s basin lakes (Mary, Mamie and George) and Bridgeport’s Virginia Lakes.

On the Lower Owens River, which is open year-round, flows registered 200 cubic feet per second Sunday, and fishing was good in the wild trout section, with midge patterns under a strike indicator producing good results. Dry-fly fishing has been slow. To the north, at Hot Creek, ideal flows and clear water promise good results Saturday for midge and mayfly users. This is a mud snail zone, though, so keep wading to a minimum to avoid transporting the tiny snails via waders and boots.

Crowley’s tributaries, teeming with spawning Kamloops-strain rainbows, should be productive for those using roe patterns and reddish-colored streamers.

On the June Lake Loop, tall tales are already surfacing. “I’ve seen some real monsters swimming around. They look like sharks,” exclaims Don Scroogie, concession manager at June Lake Marina. June could repeat as the top producer on the Loop, but Gull, Silver or Grant may easily yield a fish bigger than the 7-pound rainbow, caught on yellow Power Bait, that held up last year as the opening day’s top fish.

At Upper and Lower Twin near Bridgeport, small rainbows have begun to move into the warmer shallows, which means much larger browns are lurking nearby. Upper Twin boasts the state-record brown, a 26-pounder caught on opening day in 1987. Lower Twin produced a 26-5 in May 1983. That fish had four 10-inch rainbows in its belly. Because of the early thaw and increased trout activity in the last week, either of these lakes could issue a double-digit brown.

The best bet for quality rainbows, however, is Bridgeport Reservoir, according to Jim Reid, owner of Ken’s Sporting Goods, who says the lake is brimming with 3- to 6-pounders.

Flows from the reservoir have been ideal on the famed East Walker River, which will delight fly fishermen. But because the Nevada Irrigation District governs the flow rate, conditions change without notice. Much like the Eastern Sierra weather.

To e-mail Pete Thomas or read his previous Fair Game columns, go to latimes.com/petethomas.