Photo of Twin Falls, Bear Creek, Fresno County, CA

Bear Creek Fishing
Fresno County


Bear Creek Fishing

John Muir Wilderness - Fresno County

Map

Bear Creek in Fresno County offers excellent fishing from the diversion dam all the way up to 9,600 feet in the John Muir Wilderness. Bear Creek can easily be fished as a day trip or on a backpack outing. Small waterfalls and countless deep pools provide pleasant surprises for anglers around every bend. The best fishing comes in August and September after the mosquitoes have faded and the snow melt has passed its peak.

Fishing is successful with flies, bait, and spin casting. A good trail parallels Bear Creek, following close to the river for the first 4½ miles. Beyond that, for the next 2 miles, the trail is as much as one-third-mile from the river with rugged terrain sometimes making access difficult. Even so, I had the most fun exploring sections of the river a short distance off the trail where it wasn't too rugged where few others have ventured. Most of your catches will be pan-size brook trout, but higher up watch for goldens.

Bear Creek, Fresno County, CA

Bear Creek

Recommended Lures, Books and Maps for Fishing Rock Creek



Bear Creek, John Muir Wilderness, California

Bear Creek

In My Creel

  • #16 Black Gnat
  • #14 Adams
  • #14 Brown Elk Caddis
  • Royal Coachman
  • salmon eggs
  • Berkley Power Bait

For fishing in the pools along Bear Creek I selected a small variety of baits and flies, but I found that the flies were all I needed in early August.

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Other Nearby Featured Trips in Fresno County:

  • Evolution Valley - a multi-day backpack trip from Florence Lake to a spot many consider the most beautiful in the Sierra.
  • Graveyard Lakes - basecamp at 9800' and fish all day at a cluster of beautiful alpine lakes.
  • Rose Lake - a high alpine lake close to upper Bear Creek. Find exciting fishing for golden trout along the creek just below the lake.
  • Sandpiper Lake - beautiful alpine lake above Bear Creek. Multiple other lakes nearby.
  • San Joaquin River - miles of excellent fishing near Florence Lake

Bear Creek with clear water and colorful rocks

Bear Creek

Set Out on Adventure

Fishing in Evolution Valey, Kings Canyon National Park, Caifornia

Evolution Valley, Kings Canyon National Park

A Backpacker's Guide
to California's Most Spectacular
Sierra Nevada Destinations

Driving to Bear Creek

Bear Creek would be more heavily fished if it weren't so difficult to approach by car. Be prepared for a long, windy drive. But the rewards are worth the effort. From the Fresno area go east past Shaver Lake and Huntington Lake and on over Kaiser Pass toward Edison Lake.

Soon after you pass the turnoff to Mono Hot Springs watch for the sign to the Bear Creek Diversion Dam on the right. (In 2022 the sign was missing, perhaps the casualty of road work. The two sign posts were still standing.) There are other trailheads leading to Bear Creek, but they require much more uphill climbing.

The 2-mile dirt road to the parking area at the Bear Creek Diversion Dam is a 4-wheel drive, high clearance vehicle route only. It is slow, narrow, and bumpy. 5 MPH. Some people walk it, but it's uphill and hot. Parking at the diversion dam is on a broad slab of glaciated granite.

Bear Creek sign

Hiking the Bear Creek Trail

From the parking area you pick up the trail which goes up along the side of Bear Creek. Good fishing begins immediately, or you could hike in a distance and choose a more secluded pool a little farther upstream. You soon enter the John Muir Wilderness, so if you are camping overnight in the backcountry you should have a Wilderness Permit, available in Prather on the way in.

Some of the best backpacking campsites along Bear Creek are between 2 and 3½ miles in from the diversion dam. One of the best is at Twin Falls, shown above. The first 3½ miles of the trail gradually climb 1000 feet in elevation, making it a good beginning backpacking destination.

After 3½ miles the trail starts up sharply, climbing over a ridge away from the creek and dropping back to rejoin Bear Creek near where the trail meets the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails. From the trailhead at the dam to the JMT is 6.9 miles and includes nearly 1500 feet in elevation gain.

Good campsites are found all along the John Muir Trail section of Bear Creek all the way up to Upper Bear Creek Meadows (about 3 miles farther up the trail with only modest elevation gains.) Several people I met on my last trip there had chosen to be packed in on horses, using the services of the High Sierra Pack Station.

Accommodations

Lodging is available at nearby Vermilion Valley Resort or Mono Hot Springs Resort. Plentiful lodging, including cabin rentals, can also be found at Huntington Lake or Shaver Lake. Several campgrounds are located in the area: Mono Creek, Mono Hot Springs, Ward Lake, Jackass Meadow, and Bolsillo. Others are found along the way back to Huntington Lake.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds around Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake and Bear Creek, see

California's Best Camping website logo

Fishing Supplies

I usually order most of my fishing supplies on line before setting out. But if there are some things you forgot to order, on your way to Bear Creek you can pick up fishing supplies at

  • Fisherman's Warehouse, 4320 W. Shaw Ave, Fresno
  • California Bait and Tackle, 4516 E. Belmont Ave, Fresno
  • Buz's Fly and Tackle, 110 W. Main St., Visalia (also at 1220 Oak St., Bakersfield)
  • Valley Rod and Gun, 2704 Clovis Ave., Clovis
  • Friant Trading Post, 17142 N. Friant, Friant
  • Sierra Anglers, 700 McHenry Ave., Modesto
  • Shaver Lake Marina, Shaver Lake