Color spotter Lance Pifer lost track of how many of Yosemite’s wild rainbow trout he caught and released at 25.
The best place to net native rainbows is on the Merced River, below Yosemite Valley. A spot favored by park employees is the Cascade Creek picnic area above the Arch Rock entrance station. Walk downstream from the picnic area to find holes little fished by park visitors.
Lance was fishing on the South Fork of the Merced River, four miles upstream from the Wawona Hotel and Illilouette Creek which is a tributary of the Merced. He notes that some really big brown trout can be had on the south fork of the Merced above the main fork.
Other non-natives in the national park, include brook, golden and Lahontan cutthroat trout, but the rainbow are the only native trout.
Lance noted how amazing Yosemite was with color peaking and temperatures in the 80s. That’s changed since he visited. Daytime temperatures are now 40 degrees cooler.
Best valley fall color is now found among the black oak at Cooks Meadow, near Yosemite Falls.
- Yosemite Valley (4,000′) – Peak (75-100%) GO NOW!
