Fishing Report - May 17, 2026

The East is running at about 167 cfs today and has still been fishing pretty well. The nymphing action has been the best with some decent streamer action coming in second. Though there doesn't seem to be as many fish on the "Miracle Mile" section as farther downstream past the bridge, the quality of fish on the Mile is very good with lots of fish from 18 to 23 inches being caught. They're starting to eat some caddis nymphs pretty good which might indicate there could be some decent dry action coming. Some patterns to try: San Juan worm, squirmy worm, z-wing caddis, fox's poopah, deep sparkle pupa, buckskin caddis, darth baetis, rainbow warrior, perdigon, psycho prince, sculpzilla, ziwi, dead drift crayfish. 

The ranch also fished pretty well this week with most of the reports coming in being good. As with the CA side it was also mostly nymphing with a few anglers doing well with streamers. We're getting pretty booked up down there  so if you'd like to plan some time on the ranch try to give us a call in advance so we can get you on the calendar. 

We had some anglers on the pond this week and received some mixed reports on their return. Overall it sounds like the fishing was very good while some anglers said the weeds were quite a bit of a problem while others said they weren't that bad. It sounds like the best way to fish it right now is with a dry/dropper rig or fishing nymphs or jig head leeches under an indicator. My thought is that stripping streamers (which is usually my preferred method) is likely to get you mostly weeds. That being said, if you're willing to work around the weeds a bit you should be able to have a pretty good time out there. 

The Reservoir is still fishing pretty well overall. It sounds like the trolling has slipped a bit but the bait fishing in the Rainbow Point area has picked up nicely. They're still catching a few fish from the shore down near the "Bathtub" as well. The anglers who are still trolling and having some success are fishing crawlers, speedy shiners, Thomas Bouyants and Rapalas while the bait anglers are using inflated crawlers, pinched crawlers, mice tails and power bait. 

We got a couple reports from Kirman this week and it sounds like it's not too bad up there! The first report we received was from an angler who had a bit of a tough go with just 2 fish in about an 8 hour session, a little disappointing but yesterday we had an angler who reported that he and his 2 fishing buddies each caught a dozen or so fish on leeches and scud patterns, this was a great report to get, I'd say it might just be worth the hike up there now!

The Twins have been a little tough lately but there's still some good fish being caught by anglers who are putting in some time. Some of the more successful anglers are getting some fish trolling with Rapalas and Thomas Bouyants and there are some bait anglers catching some fish with pinched crawlers, inflated crawlers and mice tails. We had a couple very good reports from fly anglers stripping streamers near the inlets with intermediate sink lines as well. It sounds like early and late in the day has been the best with the action slowing a bit mid day. 

It sounds like the West is still a bit blown out with the remaining snow melting off, likely this won't last too much longer and when the flows come down and the water clears up up there thing should get much better. 

We got a couple very good reports from the Virginias over the last few days with anglers reporting success with bait like mice tails, inflated crawlers and power bait. There seems to be some very good fish cruising up there, some weighing up to 3 pounds or so. We didn't hear much about flies or lures yet but if I was going to throw lures I'd be thinking about Thomas Bouyants and Kastmasters and for flies I'd be running wooly buggers, seal buggers, Twin Lakes Specials and soft hackles. 

Ken's Hours: Sunday through Thursday - 8am - 6pm, Friday and Saturday 8am - 7pm 

ATTENTION ANGLERS: NEW FISHING LAWS IN EFFECT!
As we get ready for summer, whether you’ll be hitting the water on a ski boat, trolling for trout, or enjoying a sunset cruise, new watercraft laws are now in effect to protect the Eastern Sierra from invasive Golden Mussels.  

If it’s trailered and touches the water, it needs an inspection! 

ALL CRAFT INCLUDED: From fishing boats and high-performance ski boats to pontoon boats and personal watercraft.  

MANDATORY STOP: It is now LAW to visit a Watercraft Inspection & Decontamination (WID) station before you head to the ramp. 

STICKER REQUIRED: An official Eastern Sierra Mussel Sticker must be displayed on your vessel before you touch the water. 

EVERYTHING—including SUPs, Kayaks, and Float Tubes—must be Clean, Drained, and Dry prior to arrival.  

For more information, go to EasternSierraWID.com

THE BOAT INSPECTION STATION FOR THE BRIDGEPORT AREA WILL BE SET UP AT THE BALL FIELDS ON AURORA CANYON ROAD 

Email recreation@mono.ca.gov  for more information on dates and times for getting your boat inspected

May 24, 2026 - Range Cleanup Day - Bridgeport Gun Club Range Clean-up Day

May 31, 2026 - Bridgeport Volunteer Fire Department Open House - 11am - 2pm

June 1, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

June 2, 2026 - Deadline for CA Deer Tag Applications

June 8, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

June 13, 2026 - Bridgeport Gun Club Annual Gun Rights Dinner - Bridgeport                              

                           Elementary School - 5:00pm

June 14, 2026 - Albert Pegorare Memorial Trap Shoot - Gun Club Trap Range - 10:00am

June 22, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

June 27, 2026 - Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation annual Fishing Derby

June 28, 2026 - 4th Annual Green Hornet Invitational Fishing Derby

June 29, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

July 3,4, 2026 - Bridgeport Ranch Rodeo - Centennial Livestock Arena

July 3, 2026 - 4th of July Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 9:00am

July 11, 2026 - Cheese & Wine Tasting - Bridgeport Barns & Terrace - 6:00pm

July 13, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

July 20, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

July 27, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Aug. 3, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Aug. 8, 2026 - Friends of Bodie Fest - 11am - 6pm

Aug. 10, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Aug. 17, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Aug. 24, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Aug. 31, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Sept. 1, 2026 - Dove Season Opener

Sept. 7, 2026 - Monday Night Trap Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range - 4:00pm

Sept. 13, 2026 - Pre Thanksgiving Prize Shoot - Bridgeport Gun Club Trap Range                                10:00am - Last Shoot of the Year

Sept. 20, 2026 - Range Clean Up Day - Bridgeport Gun Club Rifle Range - 10:00am

California Boater Card

I had a customer call asking if they needed a California Boater Card if they are not a resident of California, I didn't know the answer at the time but I looked it up, here is the wording in the FAQ section of www.californiaboatercard.com : 

According to California law the following persons are not required to have a boater card to operate a motorized vessel on California waterways:

• A person operating a rental vessel.
• A person operating a vessel while under the direct supervision of a person 18 years of age or older who is in possession of a California Boater Card.
• A person who is a resident of a state other than California who is temporarily operating a vessel in California for less than 60 days and meets the boating requirements, if any, of his/her state.
• A person who is a resident of a country other than the United States who is temporarily operating a vessel in California for less than 90 days and meets the boating requirements, if any, of his/her country.
• A person operating a vessel in an organized regatta or vessel race, or water ski race.
• A person who is in possession of a current commercial fishing license.
• A person who is in possession of a valid marine operator license, for the waters upon which the licensee is operating, issued by the United States Coast Guard, or who is in possession of a valid certificate issued pursuant to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended.
• A person who has successfully completed a boating course approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Post.

Hope this helps clear up some questions!