“Fishmas” Delivers Big Fish and Big Expectations for the Eastern Sierra Trout Season

The Eastern Sierra holds a special place in my heart. Not only are they rich in beautiful alpine lakes chock-full of trophy trout, but much of my childhood began there. As I arrived in the town of Mammoth Lakes, I couldn't help but notice the shift in the town from ski season to fishing season. All around town, businesses posted signs and sold special merchandise, celebrating Fishmas, while the tackle shops restocked their shelves and welcomed anglers visiting for the opener.

Great Sierra Trips Start at Rick's Sport Center

If Christmas has Saint Nick, Fishmas has Saint Rick. Rick Flamson has been the owner of Rick's Sport Center, a must-stop for Eastern Sierra anglers since 1991. Not only does the shop have all the tackle you need, but if you're not sure where to go or what to do, the board out front lists conditions and hot baits for nearly all waters within an hour or two of Mammoth Lakes. If you need a guide, the staff are all local experts who run their own services.

Fischer the shop dog at Rick's Sport Center in Mammoth Lakes, CA greets anglers for the Eastern Sierra Fishing Opener — Head to Rick's Sport Center for expert advice and friendly faces like Fischer | Cory Hayashi

The day before Fishmas, the shop was bustling as 20+ customers packed the room, buying tackle, re-spooling line, and fishing for tips. As I perused the shop, I overheard Flamson conversing with a young angler. "Wait here, I have something for you," he said. He returned with a hat that read RICK'S and placed it on the child's head, "Now you're on our team, wear that hat, and you'll catch fish every time!" As Flamson walked away, the child was beaming, a new angler made for life.

"It's going to be a really good opener," Rick enthused to me as he sold some new hand - painted spoons to a group of customers, "we have record - level water and the lakes have been open and ice - free early. The fish have been feeding and getting active."

Thanks to unseasonably warm weather, the snow melt started early, and more lakes than usual were ready for the opener. Late-season storms provided an additional benefit, according to Flamson, "the snow pack is still 120 inches at the top, so we should have good water through July."

Convict Lake: Where Fishing Dreams Come True

Mist rolls in over Convict Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains for the Fishing Opener — Anglers who braved cold tems were rewarded with big fish at Convict Lake | Cory Hayashi

After stopping by Twin Lakes in the Mammoth loop to start the day, I decided to head down to one of my favorite places, Convict Lake. Located just two miles off of Highway 395, Convict Lake provides a stunning backdrop comparable to backcountry views, along with some serious fishing. "We stock more than any other lake. You have a better chance of catching a trophy here than any other place," said Dan Golden, General Manager of Convict Lake Resort.

Golden's words rang true as a seemingly endless stream of fishermen came through the General Store with nice stringers of sizable trout. "People have a lot of fish, that's good," Golden observed, "although a lot of the big ones haven't been caught, so they should be coming soon."

Once again, Golden proved to be prescient as an angler brought in an 11 - pound rainbow trout to the weigh station, capping off a successful day. "This is one of the better openers we've had in a while. A couple of years ago, the lake was frozen."

Crowley Lake: Big Lake, Big Fish

Further down Highway 395 lies the 12-mile-long trout haven that is Crowley Lake. Known for hard-fighting brown, rainbow, and cutthroat trout, Crowley Lake is often the most fished lake on Fishmas. "This year was packed," said Melissa Ortiz from the Crowley Lake Fish Camp, "we completely sold out of boat rentals."

Fishing products from Berkley are displayed for the Eastern Sierra Fishing Opener — Berkley came to Crowley Lake for Fishmas, bringing free giveaways and a $1,500 grand prize for biggest fish! | Daniel Vega - Berkley Fishing

Outside the tackle shop, Berkley set up a promotional booth, handing out baits and weighing in the best catches of the day. "Size has been good, a lot of four-pounders," said product rep Daniel Vega, "trolling has been effective, particularly our new dough rider." Up for grabs was a $1,500 big fish prize, which was won with an 8.4-pound rainbow trout.

Continuing the good vibes for the day, the Ortiz echoed the optimism for the season. "We're expecting a great season. We stocked heavily at the end of last season and got 800 pounds of trophy trout four days ago!"

The Sierras Are Calling!

Although Fishmas has come and gone, the Eastern Sierra still welcomes people of all ages and provides a great travel destination for families, especially with the numerous family-friendly trout derbies throughout the season. As Golden notes, “With prices going up on everything, it’s much cheaper to go camping and fishing instead of going to Disneyland!”

While much of the discussion was on the great weather and big fish from opening weekend, the optimism for a fantastic 2026 was evident in everyone I talked to, none more so than St. Rick himself. "The guys and gals at Rick's are really excited about the season coming up and can't wait to see everyone!"

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