Fishing the Owens River is either peaceful, frustrating, or often both. If you’re new to this, congratulations, you’re about to enter the most patient, obsessive, and debatably meditative sport in the Eastern Sierra.
Luckily, the Owens River is one of the best places to start. It’s packed with rainbow and brown trout, flows through some of the most ridiculous scenery on Earth, and won’t completely break you like a backcountry fly-fishing adventure.
So, here’s what you need to know to not completely suck at fishing the Owens River.
Step One: Know Your Owens (Upper vs. Lower)
The Owens River stretches 120 miles from the Sierra Nevada into the Owens Valley, and while it’s all fishable, not all sections are created equal.
Upper Owens – Think wide-open meadows, slow-moving water, and trophy-sized trout that will offering nothing, if you show up unprepared. Best for fly-fishing and people who like to feel superior about their technique.
Lower Owens – A warmer, windier, brushier section that’s way more forgiving for beginners. It’s stocked regularly, which means even a clueless newbies have a shot at landing a fish.
Step Two: Pick Your Weapon (Fly vs. Spin)
If you want to fit in with the fly-fishing diehards, get ready to spend money on gear and practice a delicate, graceful, and complex casting technique. If that sounds exhausting, spinning rods exist for a reason.
Fly-Fishing (For the Purists)
✔️ You look cool once you get the hang of it.
✔️ It’s all about matching the hatch (aka figuring out what bugs the fish are eating and using the right fake one).
✔️ Best for: Upper Owens, moving water, feeling like you’re in A River Runs Through It.
Spin Fishing (For the Realists)
✔️ Easier, cheaper, and requires less existential commitment.
✔️ Throw a lure, reel it in, repeat. If something bites, congratulations, you’re fishing.
✔️ Best for: Lower Owens, fishing from the bank, people who just want to catch a damn fish.
Step Three: The Best Time to Fish
Not all times are created equal, and if you’re showing up at noon expecting to land a solid fish, is not likely.
Best Times to Fish:
• Early Morning – Right after sunrise, trout are out and looking for breakfast. You should be, too.
• Evening (Golden Hour) – Sunset hits, the bugs come out, fish start rising. Go time.
Worst Times to Fish:
• Middle of the Day – Fish are lazy, it’s hot.
Step Four: Where to Actually Cast Your Line
If you just chuck your bait into the middle of the river and expect a fish to find it, you’re going home empty-handed.
✔️ Fish the seams – Look for the transition zones between fast and slow water—this is where trout like to hang out and wait for food to drift by.
✔️ Hit the undercuts – The riverbank overhangs are basically trout apartments. Cast near, but not into, the brush unless you enjoy getting tangled.
✔️ Look for riffles and pools – Shallow, bubbly water means oxygen and bugs. Deep, slow pools mean big fish chilling in the shade.
Step Five: Don’t Be That Guy (Fishing Etiquette 101)
Fishing looks like a solo activity, but you’re sharing the river—so don’t be a kook.
Give people space – If someone’s already fishing a section, move on. Don’t just walk up and cast next to them like an absolute psychopath.
Pack out your trash – Fishing line, beer cans, old lures—if you brought it, don’t leave it.
Don’t low-hole someone – If another angler is working upstream, don’t wade in below them like some kind of fish-stealing villain.
Step Six: If You Catch One, What Now?
Catch and Release (For the Sporty Types)
✔️ Wet your hands before handling the fish (dry hands damage their slime coating).
✔️ Remove the hook quickly and gently—you’re not performing surgery.
✔️ Hold the fish in the current until it kicks off on its own.
Keep and Eat (For the Hungry Types)
✔️ Check local regulations—you can’t keep everything.
✔️ A clean kill is more respectful than letting it flop around in the dirt.
✔️ If you keep it, actually eat it. No wasting fish.
Final Thoughts: The Owens River Is Waiting
Fishing the Owens River is a rite of passage. Whether you’re here to nerd out on fly-fishing, toss a spinner, or just drink a beer next to a river and hope something bites, there’s no wrong way to do it (unless you ignore everything we just told you).
Just get out there, cast your line, and try not to hook yourself in the face. 🎣🔥🏔️
👉 Need a fishing license? Get one online at CA Fish & Wildlife before some ranger hands you a ticket.
👉 Want to sound like you know what you’re doing? Hit up the homies at Mac’s for killer beta and gear.
👉 Want to actually learn how to fish? Book a trip with the OG’s at Sierra Bright Dot.
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A message from AWE: In the ’80s, tossing trash out of car windows was commonplace—until the “Don’t Be a Litterbug” campaign came along and changed behavior on a massive scale. At AWE, we believe the same power of messaging can transform how people care for the places we love to travel and explore. Most people are good, and travel is inevitable—every hike, swimming hole, and climbing spot is just a few clicks away. As content creators, we believe we have a responsibility to weave Leave No Trace principles into everything we share, inspiring travelers to recreate responsibly and minimize their impact on the incredible places so many of us cherish. Your actions matter: where you walk, how you park, how you treat locals, and even how loud you play your music. It all makes a difference. Search “Leave No Trace” to learn more about responsible recreation and how you can help protect the wild spaces we love and share.
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