SeeCalifornia.com

Pictured is newest wild trout waters in Fresno County Wilderness Area

Big Bear Lake has already announced its annual Trout Fishing Contest with a grand prize of  $50,000, while another California mountain destination anticipates the beginning of its annual trout fishing season.  Eastern Sierra trout season officially opens at one hour before sunrise on Saturday, April 27, 2013. Warm weather has melted snow and ice on lakes that often are still frozen in late spring, giving anglers more access to lakes, streams and waterways for the Saturday trout season opener. Lakes below 8,000 feet have already thawed and higher lakes could thaw considerably more prior to opening day. CDFW freshwater fishing regulations are here: dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish-Mar2013/

For those who haven’t been bit by this exciting sportfishing bug, here are some highlights:

· Hatcheries have begun to stock the open waters.
· Crowley Lake is ice-free and has been open for two months.
· Bridgeport Reservoir, Convict Lake, Crowley Lake, Lundy Lake and the Twin Lakes in Bridgeport are open and ice-free.
· The entire June Lake Loop, including June Lake, Gull Lake, Silver Lake and Grant Reservoir are all ice-free.
· East Walker River is at very low flow but fishing is good with no ice or muddy areas.
· Monitor Pass is open.
· Bishop Creek drainage roads are open and snow-free, the creek, south and middle forks are fishable.
· In the Mammoth Lakes Basin, Twin Lakes are open, no update on Mamie, Mary or George Lakes.
· Rock Creek Lake is 50 percent open and melting. The road is open and all shoreline is accessible.