Union Valley / Stumpy Meadows

[Mike Churchill]

My dad and I went up to Union Valley on Saturday to check it out. Since it's his boat and the arthritis in his hands bugs him when he casts much, we spent most of the day trolling hardware (although I had a flyrod with a sink tip in the mix much of the time.

We picked up 4 rainbows and 3 Lake Trout. One of the rainbows hit the trolled fly.

In mid-afternoon we switched to casting for bass. I picked up two fat little smallies in about 45 minutes of working the shoreline in one of the coves.

All in all, an interesting lake. Water temps were 62 to 65 degrees, which surprised me for a lake at 4800 feet. Very clear water and lots of fish on the finder.


Sunday afternoon we jumped in my dad's convertible and took a drive up 193 to Georgetown, where we turned left. I expected to hit the Rubicon eventually, but hadn't looked at a map. We ended up stopping at Stumpy Meadows Reservoir for a look around.

Anyone have any info on that lake?

Mike

[Ed Wahl]

My dad and I went up to Union Valley on Saturday to check it out. Since it's his boat and the arthritis in his hands bugs him when he casts much, we spent most of the day trolling hardware (although I had a flyrod with a sink tip in the mix much of the time.

We picked up 4 rainbows and 3 Lake Trout. One of the rainbows hit the trolled fly.

In mid-afternoon we switched to casting for bass. I picked up two fat little smallies in about 45 minutes of working the shoreline in one of the coves.

All in all, an interesting lake. Water temps were 62 to 65 degrees, which surprised me for a lake at 4800 feet. Very clear water and lots of fish on the finder.


Sunday afternoon we jumped in my dad's convertible and took a drive up 193 to Georgetown, where we turned left. I expected to hit the Rubicon eventually, but hadn't looked at a map. We ended up stopping at Stumpy Meadows Reservoir for a look around.

Anyone have any info on that lake?

Mike

I've got some info Mike.

Another 15 minutes and you'd have been at the Rube. Same road, just further on.

My directions for the Rube usually go something like" drive forever until you get to Stumpy Meadows, then drive another forever.

This area is very remote, and very steep. Make sure you have enough gas to make it back out. Carry a spare tire, there's no AAA in there. And no cel service.

I'm not sure about your dad in that canyon, it's pretty rough. However, if you want to take him in there, let me know and I'll go with you.

You really need to see the canyon before taking your dad in.
Don't mean to make it seem like certain death, but it is a rough place. And I've seen my share of rough places.

Ed

[SHigSpeed]

Has some browns, cats, and sunnies. Used to be a decent rainbow put 'n take, but it's now on the "no-plant" list.

More of a trolling lake.

_SHig

[Jay]

Ill second what SHig said.

I used to fish stumpy quite a bit when I first moved here. Not fly fishing.

For the most part a put and take rainbow lake, they average(d) about 12".

It is on the no plant list now and is basically trout free.

There are some naturally spawning browns, they usually showed up once for every 20 or so rainbows while trolling. But there are some true gorillas in there, although I wonder how long they will last without planter trout to feed them.

Some good sized smallies. Tons of toothless tweaker Georgetown locals. Head up the hill.

[Mike Churchill]

Thanks for the info, guys.

Ed, we weren't carrying gear--just driving up the mountain in my dad's Miata with the top down to do a little exploring.

I looked at the map this morning and was wondering whether you go all the way up past Stumpy Meadows or turn off on one of the side roads.

We won't drag my dad into the canyon, but you have definitely got to take me up there in July. (I'm headed to Almanor for a week on Saturday.)

Mike

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

When I was a teenager my dad and I were trolling Stumpy Meadows late in the day and we saw trout rising to flies down near the dam.

My dad said that we needed flies to catch them on top.

That is one of the many incidents that drew me to fly fishing.