Kern River Fly Fishing Report January 2, 2018 – Kern River Fly Fishing Reports

Upper Kern 20 Mile Section (north of Kern River Fly Shop)The upper Kern River from Lake Isabella north to 4 miles past the Johnsondale bridge( wild trout section) remains open to fly fishing all year. Water temperatures have dropped down to 40 degrees in the morning and warming up to 44 degrees in the afternoon. The fishing is slow early in the morning in this section, but turns on later in the day, around 2pm. A slight BWO hatch occurs around this time and Rainbows are looking up in some areas. Nymphing or using a dry dropper rig during the other times is producing a fish here and there.

Matt Vaughn with a nice rainbow on the upper Kern December 25, 2017

Lower Kern River below Isabella Lake – Water temperatures down here are 5 to 10 degrees warmer The DFW stocked the lower river recently and fly fishers have been doing well on hatchery fish in this section. The lower Kern has been fishing slow for bass at this time from lake Isabella dam to Bakersfield/Oildale.

Lake Isabella – Ok for Trout, fishing slow for bass and carp

4 Mile Wild Trout Section above Johnsondale Bridge is open year round- Fishing has been fair to slow in this section. On November 15, the wild trout section became catch and release only with barbless hooks. No bait is allowed in this section all year long.

South Fork of the Kern is closed until the last Saturday in April
All tributaries in Tulare County are closed until the last Saturday in April.