Opening Day lands on Saturday, April 26, and Crowley Lake is shaping up to be one of the best bets in the Eastern Sierra. The lake is ice-free, water levels are solid thanks to a strong winter, and CDFW just stocked it with 8,000 pounds of trout. Shore anglers can find a lot of action in early and late windows, working mini jigs slow near drop-offs or inflow areas. Start with 1/16 oz and drop to 1/32 or smaller if fish are sluggish. If boating, trolling deep early is smart before switching to jigs as fish slide shallower. Top colors are usually anything with orange or gold flash.

Camping opens Thursday, April 24 at 8am, with first-come, first-served access in Whiskey Bay, Beaver Cove, and along the lakefront from South Landing to Hilton Bay. Expect a crowd—Opening Weekend always brings heavy pressure, but also some of the best fishing of the year.

Fishing at Lake Crowley is excellent as the season winds down, with fish actively feeding and gearing up for winter. Some real "tanks" have been pulled out lately. Surface temps are around 60°F, and the bite is solid most days. Fish are hitting hard on gold-colored spoons, especially in the morning when trolling the shallows – speeding up can trigger bites. They’re spread across the lake, with hotspots in the North Arm, Hilton, McGee, and even Crooked Creek. Reports say fly anglers are finding fish on midges, though the color varies day-to-day – albinos, copper tigers, blood midges, and gray have all been effective. Assassins are also worth trying as an upper fly.