Hot Creek

Hot Creek is now open to catch & release (fly fishing only) all year around. 

Historic trout surveys on Hot Creek put this small spring creek on the map. These surveys indicated some of the highest fish populations per mile in the United States.
           
Hot Creek is a classic spring creek; it’s nutrient rich and hosts a smorgasbord of insect life.   Hatches are legendary and fairly consistent every day of the providing ample opportunities for dry fly fishing and nymphing.  Hot Creek is unique from other spring creeks in that sections of the stream have steep rocky gradients that create pocket water and riffles adding to the variety of water you will encounter. 

Hot Creek can be broken into three sections.  The first section is commonly referred to as “The Interpretive Area”.  Located just below the Hot Creek Hatchery and the confluence of Mammoth Creek, this short 1/4 mile beat can be easily overlooked by anglers.  It has mostly flat smooth water with deep pools. This section is technical and will challenge anglers to make the most delicate presentations to surface sipping trout.
 
The second section would be the private and very popular Hot Creek Ranch. The ranch has nine streamside cabins for rent and offers pure fly fishing at its finest...dry flies only. Kevin & Lisa Peterson, the riverkeepers, operate an unassuming and simple yet world class fly fishing guest ranch. 

Directly below the ranch is the most popular section of Hot Creek.  Look for the two dirt parking areas along the roadside.  The creek is accessed by a short walk into the canyon.  At the end of this section is the Geothermal Area after which Hot Creek gets its daunting name.   In this portion of the stream, active fumaroles bubble up in the middle of the creek turning this fabled trout stream into a popular place for hot springs soakers. 

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