Tuolumne River / Dana Fork and Lyell Fork

Map courtesy of mytopo.com

Tuolumne River / Tuolumne Meadows / Dana Fork and Lyell Fork

Road condition:   Paved    

Region: Tioga Pass / Highway 120   Drainage: Dana Fork, Lyell Fork

Description: Tuolumne Meadows is the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra Mountains.  In spite of the number of people up and down the road, Tuolumne Meadows is still lovely with its lush green meadows, pristine waters, abundant wildflowers and towering granite mountains. Formed by two forks near the highway crossing, the river flows west towards Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, San Francisco’s chief water supply.  Dana Fork parallels Highway 120 from Dana Meadows at the base of Tioga Pass.  A shallow creek, Dana Fork, nonetheless, provides good fishing for smaller brook trout.  Keep in mind, however, that Tuolumne Meadows is one of the most heavily visited places after Yosemite Falls, and anglers harass and harry little brook trout in this shallow, clear creek.  Fly fishers will have more success hiking up the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River.  Affording more water and less pressure, the Lyell Fork brookies are less spooked and slightly larger.  Most of the Brook trout will average 6 to 9 inches, but there are some resident Brown trout that will bulk up to the 10 to 14-inch range. Good pocket water may be found further up the trail, as the creek heads into the canyon.  The trail is rarely more than a half-mile from Lyell Fork water.  It is common in the summer months to see lots of back-packers using the John Muir Trail that follows closely to Lyell Fork, but the further that you walk the trail the fewer anglers you will encounter. The river itself is wide and shallow with little cover.  The trout are generally small, and fly fishers have the most success keeping a low profile and casting gently upstream.

Species: Brook trout, brown trout

Closest town or supplies:

Contacts: Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce (info@leevining.com; Visiting Mono Lake www.monolake.org/visiting/; Mono Lake Visitor Center (http://www.monolake.org/monomap/vc.htm

Nearest campground: Tuolumne Meadows Campground

Map courtesy of mytopo.com.

Fishing season:  Opens the last Saturday in April and closes November 15.

Fishing Tips:  Attractor patterns properly presented will entice hungry Brook trout.

Favorite lures or bait: Use the smallest of because the creeks are shallow and difficult to cast and retrieve.  Make your casts downstream.  (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Use attractor dry fly patterns for the streams and fly & Bubble technique with small nymphs such as Hare’s Ear, Zug Bug, Bead-Head Prince Nymph, Pheasant Tail or a Tellico Shrimp for the lakes.  (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques)

Stocking information: Fish stocking programs were discontinued in 1991. A continuing debate on whether or not fishing should be allowed in national parks has been gaining support for a number of years.

Nearby fishing: Ellery Lake, Gaylor Lakes, Granite Lakes, Tioga Lake, Saddlebag Creek, Saddlebag Lake

Additional information: Both Tuolumne Meadows Resort and Tioga Pass Resort offer food and supplies.

Directions: Highway 120 ____ miles from Tioga Pass Visitor Center.

Twenty Lakes Basin (See Saddlebag Lake)