BY ERNIE COWAN

BRIDGEPORT—A tragedy in the form of a massive fish kill has struck the waters of the East Walker River, which flows from the Bridgeport Reservoir.

The late summer event is not unusual, but for unknown reasons the die-off this year was much greater than normal.

Warm summer temperatures create layers of water at different temperatures that prevent mixing and oxygen exchange. The result is algae and weeds die off, creating a toxic combination that kills fish.

When this toxic soup flowed from the reservoir into the river, there was a massive fish kill.

Many believe this is due to the combination of high water levels in the reservoir and an unusually warm summer, which stimulated growth in the lake.

Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods first raised the alarm last week.

“It sounds like the reservoir is in the process of turning over, and that’s creating a huge amount of carbon dioxide from the decaying weeds. When the carbon dioxide was pushed through the dam at the Big Hole, there was a significant fish kill,” Reid said.

Anglers reported hundreds, if not thousands, of dead fish of all kinds floating along the “Miracle Mile” below the dam.

Rick Gieser of Ken’s has been fishing the waters off Bridgeport for 45 years and this was the largest fish kill he has ever seen.

“Normally it’s a few smaller trout and perch, but I’ve never seen anything like this,” Gieser said.

Both Ken’s Sporting Goods and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have asked anglers to avoid the East Walker River for the remainder of the season.

“It usually takes a few weeks to recover from this annual event, but we’ve lost a lot of 8- to 9-pound fish and this time it’s going to take longer,” Gieser said.

In a brief statement, the DFW said that an investigation is currently underway to determine the cause and extent of the deaths.

“CDFW staff from Bishop investigated the incident on Monday and confirmed that the East Walker River did not contain enough dissolved oxygen to sustain fish for the first two miles below the dam. They found dead fish up to four miles below the dam,” the statement said.

Hopefully further investigation will shed light on why the annual event was so intense this year.

Ken Hoffman, a fishing guide at Bridgeport Reservoir and board member of the Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation, said his group is committed to using brook trout.

“We will continue to stock brook trout in the East and West Walker rivers and Bridgeport Reservoir as they are available and approved by CDFW,” he said.

Gieser of Ken’s said it does not appear that the mass extinction has had a significant impact on the Bridgeport Reservoir.

“I think the wind pushed everything up to the dam and that’s where we had the biggest problem. The reservoir seems to be fine,” he said.

While the mass die-off is not good news, it is a localized event and should not impact overall trout fishing as the Eastern Sierra enters fall, considered the best season by many experienced anglers.

So take a tour along the Eastern Sierra Front to check out conditions between Lone Pine and Bridgeport.

Episcopal area and south—Daytime temperatures on the Lower Owens from Bridgeport south are still unbearable. This means the water is too hot for trout as well and they are stressed. Anglers are advised to avoid this section or concentrate on bass and catfish until it cools down. Anglers report that surface bass fishing has been good.

Higher elevations are the place to be as the cool nights keep water temperatures lower. There was even a thin layer of snow last weekend, which should help the fish trigger their autumn feeding frenzy.

The waters in Bishop Creek Canyon, including South Lake, Lake Sabrina and the forks of Bishop Creek, were stocked with fish by DFW last week and plenty of trophy stocks were also released for Labor Day weekend.

Anglers who head out along the trail from South Lake also have a good chance of catching wild trout in the higher lakes.

North Lake still offers fishing for rainbow trout and wild brown trout from shore using lures and small artificial baits, especially from a float tube floating near the entrance.

Mammoth Lakes Area—Rock Creek Lake offers plenty of Desert Springs Hatchery trophy rainbow trout, but anglers should seek out deeper water where fish are holding to avoid summer temperatures. The drop-off near the bay is a prime location, especially late in the day when shadows cover the water in that area.

The annual Ambush at the Lake Derby is currently underway at Convict Lake. Last week, 600 pounds of trophy fish and 700 pounds of DFW rainbow trout were stocked. The derby runs through November 15th. If you catch a fish over 14 inches, you will be entered into the prize drawing. The entry fee is $16.

Lisa Cornwell of Convict said that regular baits and artificial lures are working well, but the fish are in the cooler, deeper water, with mornings and evenings being the most productive times.

The water level in Crowley Lake is now dropping faster and once you find the fish, they are biting very well.

As the flow slows, water temperatures continue to rise, meaning fish migrate to deeper waters.

Guides at The Trout Fitter in Mammoth say McGee Bay has been better, but focus on all creek inlets for better results. Hilton Bay has plenty of smaller fish.

Mammoth Lake also had snow last week, but that means the fish will be more active as water temperatures drop after Labor Day and fishing pressure eases.

Mammoth Basin lakes are rich in DFW and trophy rainbow trout from Idaho or Oregon, and an early coat of snow fell in the area last weekend. That means fishing pressure drops off significantly after Labor Day as crowds thin out. With temperatures dropping, the aggressive fall bite will soon begin.

June Lake Loop – Lee Vining—The waters in the June Lake Loop always come alive as fall weather approaches. That seems to have already started at Grant Lake, where Tony Hallum of Grant Lake Resort reports good numbers of 3- to 4-pound trout caught on trolled Rapalas.

So far, the trout have not started moving into Rush Creek to spawn, but they may be in the back end of the lake. If you plan on fishing Grant, ask Hallum at the dock for the latest information.

June, Gull and Silver lakes are rich in trophy and DFW fish and anglers report catch rates, especially during early and late fishing. Rush Creek fishing season ends September 30th.

The higher waters above Lee Vining are stocked with fish and the cooler waters are stocked with fish. Some larger fish have been caught in Tioga and Ellery lakes and some nice brown trout have been caught in Ellery as well.

WON has not received any updates from Saddlebag Lake regarding the operation of the shuttle across the lake to the Hoover Wilderness Trailhead, but if that service is in operation, it typically ends after Labor Day.

Good reports continue to come from Lundy Lake, where water levels remain high and both large rainbow trout and DFW fish have been stocked.

Virginia Lakes, Bridgeport area –Cooler temperatures and even snow made for some exciting times on the Virginia Lakes this past week, but the bites are continuing and traditional baits and artificial lures are working.

“Always try 1/6 ounce red/gold and silver/blue Thomas Buoyants, silver/blue Kastmasters, black/yellow dot Panther Martins, gold Super Duper 502s, gold Mepps and a few bleeding frog buoyants,” said Carol Webb of Virginia Lakes Resort.

The fish kill in the East Walker River does not appear to have had any impact on the fishery in the Bridgeport Reservoir.

Jim Reid of Ken’s Sporting Goods said he is still getting good reports from anglers catching fish in the reservoir’s Robinson, Buckeye and East Walker channels, mostly with bait.

“Some anglers are reporting catching 20 fish per day per boat, and we’ve seen fish weighing over 5 pounds,” Reid said.

Both Upper and Lower Twin Lakes continue to offer excellent fishing. Overall, trolling is the best method, but bait anglers also catch fish from shore and boats.

The best lures for trolling were Thomas Buoyants, Kastmasters and Rapalas.

This time of year, changes occur in the Sierra. Crowds thin out, the weather cools, and the aspens take on fall colors.

Anglers should head to the highlands now to find the best fishing of the year, but be prepared for the weather, which can change at any time.

E