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Mammoth Lakes – The Fishing’s Great!

Rock Creek (9/19/17) Josh Wray

Josh Wray of @VisitMammoth made us laugh today with his report that fall color in the Lakes Basin is still so minimal that it’s probably not worth a trip just to see it, though… the fishing is GREAT!

Rock Creek (9/19/17) Josh Wray

Rock Creek (9/19/17) Josh Wray

Fall Color Hiker (9/19/17) Josh Wray

That about sums up the lower elevations in the Eastern Sierra, though color has moved into the Patchy range near 9,000′.

Now, while the Lakes Basin might be better for fishing, the hike Josh and his best friends took showed that light jackets are required… a good sign for fall color futures.

Here’s Josh’s entire report:

Mammoth Lakes Basin (8,500′) – Just Starting (0-10%) – There are a few places where the color is changing but it’s so minimal that I would not recommend making a special trip up there specific to fall color viewing. That being said the fishing is GREAT up there right now.

Lake George (9,000′) – Just Starting

Mammoth Rock (9,100′) – Just Starting (0-10%) -–  Some of the hillside is starting to change, but again no big color shifts. We should see this spot and the rest in the area drastically change after this cold snap.

Laurel Meadow (9,000′) – Just Starting (0-10%) –  About half way up Laurel Meadow, the high-clearance 4×4 road is starting to show color shifts. It’s still in its early stages, but because it’s above 9,000′, next week there’ll be more to report in a week. CLICK HERE for Instagram shots taken by Emily Summers on 9/19/17.

Rock Creek  (9,000′) – Patchy (10-50%) –  Upper Rock Creek is the go-to spot in Mono County for anyone looking for “early” fall color. Of course, “early” is relative, as Rock Creek is late compared to where it was in recent years. There are lots of light-green trees, some yellow and even splashes of orange and red among the aspen. In a week this location will be all-time!