The East Walker below Bridgeport Dam is a tailwater famous for big brown trout, with fish averaging about 15 inches and records of 13 pounds. In California it is open from the last Saturday in April to November 15, artificial lures only, 18-inch minimum, two trout. Everything depends on the dam release: steady flows between about 75 and 250 cfs are the sweet spot.
- Water type
- Tailwater
- Fish
- Big browns and rainbows
- Best months
- May, Jun, Sep, Oct
- Drive from the chalet
- About 50 minutes
- Regulations
- Last Sat. in April to Nov. 15. Artificial lures only, 18-inch minimum, 2 trout.
- The one thing
- Check the flow first. Between about 75 and 250 cfs, dredge the deep runs and swing streamers through the softer edges.
The river
Bridgeport Reservoir releases cold, food-rich water into a short, fast, slippery stretch of river that grows browns and rainbows out of proportion to its size. Fish average around 15 inches, twenty-inchers are not news, and the river’s records are a 13-pound brown and a 9-pound rainbow. You will catch more rainbows. You will remember the browns.
Read the flow before anything else
The irrigation district controls the release, and the release controls your day. Check the flow before you leave the chalet.
| Flow | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 75 cfs | Low and clear; fish spook, nymph the deeper runs, think about the temperature |
| 75 to 250 cfs, steady | The sweet spot |
| 250 to 350 cfs | Fishable, harder wading, streamers come into their own |
| Over 350 cfs | The Miracle Mile’s slick rocks become genuinely dangerous |
In a low-snow midsummer, fish the early morning only and stop when the water passes 68°F.
Through the season
| Season | Hatches | Flies |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Skwala stones, baetis, golden stones | Skwala 10, pheasant tail 16 to 18, golden stone nymph 6 to 8 |
| Early summer | PMDs from May, caddis evenings | PMD sparkle dun 16, elk hair caddis 12 to 18, green rock worm |
| Late summer to fall | Terrestrials, caddis, browns chasing | Hoppers, foam beetles, Chernobyl ants, sculpins, crayfish |
Where
The Miracle Mile, from the dam to the Highway 182 bridge, is the famous water and fishes like it. The canyon below 182 sees a fraction of the people and holds plenty of fish over 20 inches. Across the state line, Nevada manages more public water on the Rosaschi Ranch section, catch and release with barbless flies or lures; you will need a Nevada license there.
The one thing
Weight. Big browns live on the bottom of the deep runs. If you are not ticking rocks now and then, you are fishing above them.
Common questions
What is the Miracle Mile on the East Walker?
The roughly 1.2 miles of river from Bridgeport Dam down to the Highway 182 bridge. It is the most famous and most crowded section of the East Walker.
What flow is best for the East Walker?
Steady releases between about 75 and 250 cfs. Sudden changes stress the fish, and above about 350 cfs wading the slick rocks of the Miracle Mile becomes difficult and dangerous.
What are the East Walker regulations?
In California, under current rules, from Bridgeport Dam to the Nevada line the season is the last Saturday in April to November 15, artificial lures only, with an 18-inch minimum and a two-trout limit. Nevada water has its own rules and needs a Nevada license.