Yosemite Lake Merced Fishing Report

As early the entrance station and wend your way to the valley floor you know you have arrived someplace exceptional. If you stay in the valley or make your way to the bordering high country, the Yosemite experience will become a part of you forever. Yosemite’s lakes and streams offer fishing experiences for each style of angler, from the informal plunking of a line into the Merced River as it meanders through the the valley floor to the thrilling challenges of Tuolumne Meadow fly fishing. Fishing conditions change rappidly. Mountain steams may be torrents of snow-melt one month and and lazy currents the next. (davessierrafishing.com)

Lake Merced, really two lakes connected by a pipe, plus an impoundment, had the richest aquatic food chain of any lake in Northern California, as indicated by a study by the Department of Fish and Game. DFG identified a big population of freshwater shrimp that provided food for all fish and many birds. Water quality was exceptional, with sporadic pulses of crystal-clear Hetch Hechy water from Yosemite and Crystal Springs. (blog.sfgate.com)

Be sure to follow the NPS rules on wildlife fishing. All persons 16 years of age and older must have a valid California sport fishing license for fishing in Yosemite National Park. For info about licenses and fishing, ask at the park’s visitor centers. The Yosemite Village Sport Shop in Yosemite Valley sells all the equipment and gear you will need for your Yosemite fishing adventure, as well as licenses. (yosemiteexperience.com)

Kennedy Meadows and the Clark Fork on the Stanislaus River offer excellent fishing after the snow melt has dissipated. The center fork of the Stanislaus via Beardsley Road offers good fishing but can get lots of pressure. Special rules as well as no bait, no barbs, 2 fish in extra of 14″ bound are effectively on the center fork below Beardsley. The Strawberry area off 108 offers easy access and decent fishing on the Stanislaus’ south fork but also receives lots of pressure caused by its closeness to the highway. (yosemiteblog.com)

Icnic tables and BBQs. An updated and much bigger marina reverse the present marina could make the lake lots more inviting to customers who pay to enter the park. As it stands now, everyone pays, however only a few of people get to use the marina, however only after a long waiting period, waiting for a group who belong to their own private club at the lake. Lots of people don’t feel they should pay extra to take pleasure in public buildings like public marinas, and public marina ramps. Entrance fees have generally been there to preserve all buildings at lake parks, so will include all of the buildings available at all public lake parks. (facebook.com)

The dawn Trail from Tuolumne Meadows leaves the Tioga Road at Budd Creek, about 3 miles west of the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. For the 1st mile the trail is quite steep as it twists through forests of lodgepole pines. At about the 3 mile point, the trail to lower Cathedral Lake crosses the dawn Trail, and the lake lies about one half mile west. There many marvelous mountain views along the dawn Trail as you get nearer to the summit of Cathedral Pass. Among they are Cathedral Peak, Tresidder Peak, the Echo Peaks and Matthes Crest. In the distance from here can be seen the Tower and Matterhorn peaks on the northern boundary of the park. (undiscovered-yosemite.com)

The Merced is stocked from Foresta Bridge downstream to Lake McClure, where rainbows are placed on a regular base and fishing is open all year. Anglers can fish with bait or fake lures here, however limitations differ during the year. From the last Saturday in April through Nov. 15, anglers can keep five trout daily. The bound drops to two rainbow trout from Nov. 16 to the Friday before the last Saturday in April. (flyfishing.about.com)

There are some special catch and release laws for certain fish, namely the rainbow trout that are native to the Merced River. Bait fishing is banned in some regions, and people are only allowed to use lures and flies with barbless hooks. Make sure to learn what rules apply to which regions before fishing Yosemite Park. Many of the rules are dispersed through the State of California, so do not hesitate to ask a park ranger or guide any questions about them. For those who come without gear, there’s rod and reel rental available. Also, guides are available for those who want to experience fishing Yosemite alongside a professional who can show them the best places and time to fish. (finefishing.com)

Merced River is accessed from Merced via State Highway 140 to Mariposa.   From Mariposa, travel 15 miles on Highway 140 to the river.   The road parallels the river beyond this point.   Highway 140 receives heavy traffic to Yosemite National Park and anglers should only park in turnouts where their car doesn’t obstruct traffic.   Merced River is inside the California Department of Fish and Game’s Sierra District and different rules based on the river part being fished.  . (fs.usda.gov)

Eagle Lake trout are native only to Eagle Lake in Lassen County, and are recognized for their big size and their capability to withstand high alkaline levels in water. They’re a distinct subspecies, having only 58 chromosomes instead of the 60 that majority rainbow trout have. Eagle Lake trout can grow to about 24 inches, weigh up to 10 pounds, and tolerate water up to pH 9. 6, higher than any other rainbow trout. They may also live up to 11 years. (rodmob.squarespace.com)