Big Pine Creek / Big Pine Area

Name of creek: Big Pine Creek

Road condition:   Paved      

Region: White Mountain Ranger District    Drainage: Willow Lake, Black Lake

Description: A small creek with two forks

Species: Stocked Rainbows

Closest town or supplies: Big Pine

Contacts: Glacier Lodge (760) 938-2837; Slater’s Sporting Goods (760) 876-5020; Inyo County Parks and Recreation (760) 878-0292

Nearest campground: Glacier Lodge RV with full hookups (760) 938-2837; Big Pine Creek Campground; Upper Sage Flat Campground; Sage Flat Campground; Tinnemaha Campground (county); Taboose Creek Campground; Grandview Campground; Baker Creek Campground

Fishing season: General      

Tips:

Favorite lures or bait: Most Sierra creeks are too small to fish effectively with lures and spinners.  Your best bet is to poke and dab using salmon eggs or worms or Power Bait.  Small weighted jig patterns, especially grubs and very small tube worms work very well, and do not over look live terrestrials if they are allowed.  If you are partial to lures bring along small Panther-Martins in a variety of colors. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Lures and Bait)

Favorite fly patterns: Using a poke and dab presentation, small Woolly Buggers, Girdle Bugs, Yuk Bugs and terrestrial patterns always work well on creeks.  Dry fly patterns include Royal Wulffs, Parachute Adams, Humpies, Renegades, Stimulators, hoppers, ants, beetles and sometimes a Bead-head San Juan Worm. (See Category: Fishing Tips – Best Fly Patterns and Techniques.  Also read the article on fishing creeks if you are new to the sport of angling.)

Stocking information: 38,000 mostly from the Sage Creek Campground to Glacier Lodge.

Nearby fishing: Owens River, Independence Creek

Additional information:

Directions: From Highway 395 in Big Pine, turn left (west) on Crockett Street, which is re-named Glacier Lodge Road.  Continue to the creek and campground.

Map courtesy of mytopo.com.