Fishing Yosemite

Fishing Yosemite National Park is unlike fishing anywhere else in the Sierra.

As soon as you pass through the entrance station and wend your way to the valley floor you know you have arrived somewhere exceptional. Whether you stay in the valley or make your way to the surrounding high country, the Yosemite experience will become a part of you forever.

Yosemite's lakes and streams offer fishing experiences for every style of angler, from the casual plunking of a line into the Merced River as it meanders through the valley floor to the exciting challenges of Tuolumne Meadows fly fishing. Fishing conditions change rapidly. Mountain steams can be torrents of snow-melt one month and lazy currents the next.

Perhaps more than anywhere else in the Sierra, Fishing Yosemite is as much, if not more, about where you are than how well the fish are biting. For Fishing Yosemite I tried to select fishing destinations with that in mind. Most of the trips listed here will take you to places where you could just as easily spend the day taking photographs, standing in front of an artist's easel, or resting on your back watching the clouds pass overhead.

Yosemite Falls

Crane Creek

Good early season destination
A lively little stream requiring a delicate touch

Lyell Fork

Meandering fly fishing river in Tuolumne Meadows
Miles of great fishing with easy access for a day-long outing

Merced River - Yosemite Valley

Fishing amidst the grandest scenery in the Sierra
Good early season fishing before snow melt

Photo of the Merced River below Yosemite Natioinal Park

Merced River from El Portal to the South Fork

Easy access from the road
Great early season or fall

Tenaya Creek

Adventurous alternative to the Merced River
Good early season fishing destination
Fishing in the shadow of Half Dome

Upper Merced River

From Little Yosemite Valley to Merced Lake
Base camp at Little Yosemite Valley

Lyell Fork, Yosemite National Park, California

Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River

Recommended Books, Lures, and Flies for Fishing Yosemite

Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide, Charles S. Beck. Charles shows you when, where, and how. For each section of the park covered, you'll learn of its history, hatches, weather, regulations, what fish you can expect and how best to catch them, and much more.
Fly Fishing Trout Flies | Essential Flies for Trout | Hand-Tied Dry Flies, Nymphs, Streamers 32 of the most proven Trout flies, well-known for their timeless fish-catching effectiveness.
Mepps Plain Lure Assortment Trouter Kit Spinner blades are silver or gold plated, copper, or polished brass .
The Definitive Guide to Fishing Central California Chris Shaffer. The book details more than 380 lakes, rivers and streams around Central California. The full color guide has more than 500 color photos.
Panther Martin Pro Guide Anywhere 6 Pack Great trout lures almost guaranteed to catch fish.

Fishing Supplies

On your way to Fishing Yosemite, you can pick up fishing supplies at

Yosemite Village Sport Shop, Yosemite Valley
Curry Village Mountain Shop, Yosemite Valley
The General Store in Wawona, Tuolumne Meadows or Crane Flat
Yosemite Rivers Fly Shop, Highway 41, Oakhurst
Sportsmen's Den, Highway 41, Oakhurst
Lucky Logger Liquors, 5188 No. Highway 49, Mariposa

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Fishing Yosemite Valley

Parts of the Merced River in Yosemite Valley are heavily fished by campers and day tourists during the peak of the camping season. Casual anglers are found most often along the convenient stretches of the river adjacent to roads, parking areas, and campgrounds--mainly the upper 4 miles of the river. The heaviest fishing occurs between Happy Isles and Sentinel Creek Picnic Ground. You won't avoid other people altogether along the Merced River, but you will find far fewer people along the lower half of the river in the valley.

Fishing Yosemite's High Country

Fishing Yosemite's high country could keep you busy for a lifetime. There are countless lakes, rivers, and streams scattered about Yosemite's 1,124 square miles. The main trailheads for the back country inside the park are at Hetch Hetchy, Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Valley, and Glacier Point. Wilderness Permits are required for any overnight stay. While permits for the John Muir Trail are in high demand, permits for the less popular trails can often be picked up the day of your departure.

From Hetch Hetchy my favorite destination is up the trail to Jack Main Canyon. From a base camp there you can strike out in five different directions and find good fishing on all of them. Out of Tuolumne Meadows I enjoy the trip up Cold Canyon and then sometimes crossing over to Virginia or Matterhorn canyons.

If you are in Yosemite Valley, give the Yosemite Falls trail a try. Sure, it's a long way up, but the views the whole way are incredible. Once you are on top you can work your way along the rim of the canyon, fishing all the little creeks you cross.

From Glacier Point I like to drop into the Illilouette Creek drainage and fish my way up Clark Creek or hike over to beautiful Lower Ottoway Lake pushed up against the foot of the dramatic Clark Range. When fishing in Yosemite, it's hard to find a place that isn't wonderful.

Yellow-Legged Frog Habitat Restoration in Yosemite National Park

In an effort to restore the habitat of the endangered yellow-legged frog in the Sierra, fish are being removed from 11 lakes in six areas in Yosemite. Six of these lakes are now considered fishless (Virginia Lake, Cold Mountain Area Lakes, and Bartlett Creek Lakes) and five more are currently being restored to their natural fishless state (Tiny McCabe, Ardeth, Miwok, Roosevelt, and Hutchings Creek Lakes). These lakes constitute 5% of the lakes that contain fish in the park. Research has shown that once fishless, the lakes are re-populated by native species, including frogs and invertebrates.
Sierra Nevada Yellow-Legged Frog

Yosemite Campground Highlights

Reservations for summer campsites in Yosemite Valley fill up early, but other campgrounds in the park are available to first-come, first-served visitors. Check out Bridal Veil Campground and the smaller campgrounds along the Tioga Pass Road.

Another option is to camp outside the park. A number of good campgrounds are found on the east side along Lee Vining Creek.