Silver Creek Fishing

Alpine County

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Silver Creek Fishing

Alpine County

Silver Creek in Alpine County, California, drops 2,500 feet in a little more than 8 miles as it flows from Kinney Lakes down Silver Creek Canyon to its confluence with the East Carson River. Because it parallels Highway 4 there are sections that are fished regularly by visiting anglers. Other parts of the creek, a little more difficult to access, are neglected by many and left to the more adventurous.

Sidetrips

A short drive out the Wolf Creek Road will take you to Wolf Creek and the upper portion of the East Carson River. The East Carson above Wolf Creek is a wild trout region with special regulations (barbless hooks, catch and release).

Silver Creek

Other Nearby Featured Trips in Alpine County

Lower Kinney Lake - a beautiful, secluded mountain lake
Highland Lakes - great fishing with easy access

Silver Creek

In My Creel

#16 tan Elk Hair Caddis
#14 Blue Wing Olive Adams Parachute
#16 Red Quill
#16 mosquito
#16 gnat
#14 Royal Wulff

I easily could have carried bait and worked the stream with worms or salmon eggs, but I have a lot more fun letting my flies drift down into shaded pools or along the side of an undercut, just to see what will rise.

Recommended Books, Lures, and Flies for Fishing Alpine County

Panther Martin Best of the Best Kit Three of their most popular colors in two of our most popular lure sizes
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.
California's Best Fly Fishing: Premier Streams and Rivers from Northern California to the Eastern Sierra, Chip O'Brien. An up-to-date guidebook, complete with maps, detailed descriptions of fishing locations, analysis of the seasonal differences which affect fishing, and fly patterns.
Feeder Creek Fly Fishing Flies Assortment - 36 Trout Crushing Dry Mayflies in 18 Patterns Hand Picked Assortment Set Includes (2 of each): Ginger Quill 14 Humpy Yellow, Trico Parachute 22, Brown Drake 16 Rio Grande King 12 Blue Wing Olive 16, Adams 12 Royal Coachman 16, Black Gnat 20 Light Cahill 12 Parachute Mosquito 16, Elk Hair Caddis Olive 18, and many others.

Silver Creek

Fishing Supplies

Fishing supplies can be purchased on your way to Silver Creek at the following places:

Woodfords Station, Hwy 88
Markleeville General Store
The Angler's Edge, 1506 Hwy 395, Gardnerville, NV
Ebbetts Pass Sporting Goods, Arnold, CA
Lake Alpine Lodge
Bear Valley store

Sierra Fishing Destinations

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Making Your Way to Silver Creek

Silver Creek is easiest to reach from the eastern side of the Sierra. Drive through Markleeville, following the Carson River and turn up Highway 4 for Ebbetts Pass. Or come over Monitor Pass and swing south on Highway 4. From the west side of the Sierra you can reach Silver Creek by following Highway 4 through Angels Camp and Arnold and up over Ebbetts Pass. It's a slow drive, but the scenery is spectacular and there are numerous fishing locations along the way

The easiest turnouts from Highway 4 along Silver Creek are the most heavily fished, so I always seek out the less obvious little pull-out spaces and walk a short distance before working my way down to the creek. I'm usually rewarded by coming upon a nice, secluded pool or riffle than can hold my interest for an hour. By then I'm ready to move up or down stream.

The uppermost portion of Silver Creek does not sustain enough flow late in the season to maintain a robust fish population, but below the main cascade about 2½ miles below Kinney Lakes, pools begin to appear which support fair-sized rainbows. Fishing them is the trick. During early season the flow is high, making the canyon dangerous and fishing unproductive. By mid-summer, though, the water level has usually dropped enough that anyone agile on their feet can clamber down to the streambed and negotiate their way from boulder to boulder. It's a specialty kind of fishing that doesn't appeal to everyone.

Below Silver Creek Campground the stream develops a gentler personality and can be approached more easily from various access places. One of my favorite sections is just above the Wolf Creek Road bridge. Bait and fly fishing are the most popular approaches along this narrow creek. I had luck with a # 16 tan Elk Hair Caddis.

Lodging and Camping

For lodging close to Silver Creek you can't beat Sorenson's Resort over on Highway 88. In Markleeville there's the J. Marklee Toll Station Motel and in Woodfords you'll find Kyle's Cabins. Farther down the roads there are numerous hotels/motels in Minden, Gardnerville, and Topaz Lake, Nevada.

Silver Creek Campground is right there along Silver Creek, making it an obvious first choice. "Dispersed camping" is allowed along the creek in many places. Other campgrounds can be found near Markleeville and on the west side of Ebbetts Pass. On the west side consider Bloomfield Campground part way out the Highland Lakes Road or Hermit Valley on Highway 4. More campsites are located at Lake Alpine, but they are often crowded in the summer.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about more campgrounds along Highway 4 and Highway 89, see