Newb on the Stan/Current Conditions

[trepverter]

I'm a well-seasoned saltwater angler just getting into fly fishing. I've had a couple of successful outings and was thinking of heading up to the middle fork Stan early this week. My thought was to stop below Beardsley, then head up to Kennedy Meadows and work my way down.

Does anyone have insight into current conditions up there? Flows? Water Temps? Any other info worth sharing?

Thanks in advance...

[Jcolin]

I dont have current info to give unfortunately as i last fished the stan in june, but my concern in going up there now would be the smoke even if the fires are in another part of the sierra...if you drop all the way to the other side, might be better at some of the lakes off of 395 like virginia lakes, twin lakes or down to mammoth even.

[MThompson]

23cfs at Kennedy Meadows. Around 50-60cfs below Beardsley. A mere trickle for a river that size. I hear California has some real good bass fishin. Maybe try that instead.

[Odonata]

As of Tuesday, August 31st all national forests in California will be closed for two weeks. It isn't just the northern forests anymore. Announcement was just made today, starting to circulate on social media, probably hitting the NF websites tomorrow.

Not too hard to understand, what with super dry conditions, South Lake Tahoe being evacuated because of the advancing Caldor fire, and new fires starting left and right.

Last Labor Day weekend I was in the Emigrant Wilderness, and got rained on by ash from the Creek Fire, which at that time was pretty far south. If I'd headed into the Sierra National Forest I'd have been trapped, and a number of people were.

[trepverter]

Got back yesterday. The forest closed but I was planning on leaving anyway. I only lost a return to the area below Beardsley, where a saw a monster rise on my first stop on the way up. Did pretty well at the campsite and at Kennedy. Landed about 15 rainbows and 1 brown over 2 days. Almost all came on the hopper, a few on caddis and one on a prince nymph fished on a hopper dropper. Water was pretty cool. Smoke was not an issue, though the pyrocumulus from the Caldor was impressive not in a good way.