Crowley info request

[Scott V]

I plan to make my first trip to Crowley this coming up Saturday the 15th. I have never been and will be using a float tube. Can someone give me info on where to launch or where to fish.

Or if anyone is going to be out there in a boat and wouldn't mind some company let me know.

Thanks for any info.

[SHigSpeed]

Oooh!!! I may forgo my overnighter if the bite is still on for this. Do tell...

_SHig

[SHigSpeed]

Oh, wait. FIVE hours!?

Eh... Though drive time plus hike time is longer than that so it's a wash really. ;)

_SHig

[JAWallace]

Scott, you will probably want to focus on McGee Bay or Green Banks. This time of year McGee is probably where you want to be. Unfortunately, it's a miserable walk through cowshit from the parking to the lake, but we all survive it. It's important to check in with the fly shops first--they are pretty good about giving you current updates. PM me if you want turn by turn directions cause it's easy to miss 'em.

John

[Larry S]

Scott,
Sent you a PM.
Best,
Larry S

[Dave Neal]

There are many places fishing well right now on Crowley Lake… McGee Bay has been holding fish since July but it is a commitment to kick there and back again in a tube. Some days it has been a bit crowded here, but that's because the fishing has been pretty good most days.

Sandy Point, Six Bays, Green Banks are all good, too, and probably easy/more accessible for most people by car/truck w/ a float tube. Crooked Creek and both the Hilton Bays all have fish, too. There is no reason to fish where everybody is right now, cuz there are plenty of other areas holding fish.

Algae bloom is pretty bad in some spots depending on wind direction etc. so this can be a factor.

Morning and evening sessions have been the best for me.

I use a boat for guiding, so I have the advantage of going anywhere on the lake in a hurry, which is nice right now.

Honestly, if I were to float tube, I would go to the North end of the lake simply because there are good weed beds still and there are several locations accessible like Green Banks, Six Bays, and Sandy Point. Also, wherever there are steep drop offs to deeper water (hint) you can easily stand on the beach and fish between shoreline and weed beds for cruising fish, especially in the pm.

If you have two days to fish Crowley that would be best! Try one day in McGee Bay, the other day North End. Or go to McGee in the morning (pre wind) and North End later for the evening if wind picks up.

The FFF Fishing Faire is this weekend so there will be a bunch of Fly Fishing Clubs and tons of events and booths all weekend in Mammoth Lakes. Stop by and check out the festivities. The lake may not be very crowded?

I will be taking clients to Crowley tomorrow so feel free to PM if anyone wants my observations. Things change all the time, just have to go and fish and give it yer best.

[Scott V]

Thank you everyone for the help. I look forward to my first visit to Crowley this weekend.

[Scott V]

Ok, now I feel like a big dork. I kept confusing Crowley with Topaz for location. I do not think I will be making a day trip to Crowley.

But thanks for all the info.

[Larry S]

Jeez, Scott. Aren't you a bit young to have such a"senior moment?" Crowdley (my
spelling) is having a great summer in spite of lower water levels and huge algae blooms.
No bait fishing after Aug 15; as well as different limit regs. You need to fish it
sometime.
Best,
Larry S

[Reno Flytyer]

Scott...save your gas, time and money, Topaz (if you were considering it) isn't worth the effort (IMNSHO). I've fished it a few times, and don't plan on going back...there are too many other lakes to hit that are closer and fish better. Hoping to see you and Shig up this way this fall. Both Davis and Frenchman have been getting better with each passing day and cool night.
RFT

[Scott V]

I'm actually torn between going to Frenchman or Davis this Saturday. And I have no plans to go to Topaz, I have never heard anything good about it.

[Fly Guy Dave]

I'll second RFT's assessment of Topaz. I think it's best fished with your eyes as you drive by on 395, as fast as the curvy highway will allow... :)

[catch&release]

I have had friends fishing out of my boat for the last three days. Fishing is very slow and the algae sometimes is very bad, again depending on the wind direction.

Midgeing in McGee is not very good at all. If you fish McGee strip a Loeberg or a Hornburg. Last Sunday I caught 20 fish stripping from my boat anchored in 4 1/2 fee of water and casting back towards the shoreline. I lost just a many as I landed. Clear intermediate lines, sink rate of 1.5 to 2.5 per second is perfect. I stripped my pattern at a very fast pace and that worked best. The lake is so low that the kick into McGee is very short.

North Arm fished very well today, back along green banks in 7 feet of water. two anglers ended up with 35 fish for the day.
These fish were caught indicator fishing with midges.

I will be up for the Fly Fishing Fair and will be doing a stillwater class on the lake in the 6 bays area, walking in from the North Landing area. There are some very large fish working the perch fry against the banks in the mornings and a good chance at a very BIG fish if you strip at perch pattern in close.

If you are in the area on Friday and Saturday 8am till 11am will be my clinic, come by and say hello. I will have some extra patterns to give you to try your luck.

Spend some time at the Fair, good speakers, fly tyers and clinics and make some new friends.

Hope to see you at the Fair or on the lake.

[catch&release]

I was at Crowley for four days for the first annual mammoth lakes fly fishing fair, thursday thru sunday. It was a great success. More than 400 people wnet thru the fair grounds.

I had two stillwater clinics that I taught, one on Friday morning and one on Saturday morning. Friday 11 anglers landed 38 fish from the shore in less than 3 three hours and everyone landed fish. Saturday I had 12 anglers and they landed 18 fish. Some were very first time fly anglers and they caught fish so they were converted to fly fishing for life. I love to teach anglers this great sport we all enjoy so much and I have a great passion for teaching and watching people grow into confident fly anglers.

I guided on friday afternoon for 4 hours and had one angler on my boat. he landed 22 fish with 7 fish over 18", two of them over 20".

I guided a first time Crowley angler on Sunday morning, he landed 3 fish over 18" including a 23" cuttthroat and 10 more smaller fish.

North Arm seems to be the place to be. All the typical haunts, six bays, north landing, green banks. The algae is not so bad in the North Arm and when it dissapears Crowley will fish fantastic in October.

Dont give up on Crowley, we will have a fantastic closing months to come!