Fishing Yosemite's Crane Creek

Yosemite National Park

Crane Creek in the Foresta area of Yosemite National Park makes a pleasant early season fishing destination when most of the rest of Yosemite is still covered in snow. At an elevation of 4300' Foresta is usually clear of snow by opening day of fishing season. A small community of private homes is located at Foresta, within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park.

The 1990 A-Rock forest fire destroyed a good number of homes in Foresta and charred large portions of the countryside, leaving it less scenic than it once was. Even so, Fishing Crane Creek through the Big Meadow area still has a certain charm that makes it a worthwhile destination.

Crane Creek is a small stream with its headwaters in the Crane Flat area at the junction of the Big Oak Flat Road and the Tioga Pass Road (Highway 120). Good populations of rainbow and brown trout can be found along the length of Crane Creek. Fishing Crane Creek requires a stealthy approach and carefully placed flies.

Big Meadow

Featured Trips around Yosemite

Lyell Fork - a fantastic fly fishing river in Tuolumne Meadows
Merced River - in Yosemite Valley with all its wonders
Lower Merced River - fish the exciting waters below the park
Tenaya Creek - fish in the shadow of Half Dome
Upper Merced River - Backpack to Little Yosemite Valley and fish up the river all the way to Merced Lake.

Crane Creek

In My Creel

#16 Red Quill
#18 God Ribbed Hare's Ear
#18 Pheasant Tail nymph
#20 Black Gnat
#18 Adams
#18 Adams Parachute

For Fishing Yosemite on Crane Creek I knew I would be making a stealthy approach and trying to drop my flies as lightly as I can onto the water. Not expecting anything larger than 10", I dug in among my smaller, best performing flies.

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Recommended Books and Flies for Fishing in Yosemite

Yosemite Trout Fishing Guide, Charles S. Beck. Steve shows you when, where, and how. For each section of the park covered, you'll learn of its history, hatches, weather, regulations, what fish you can expect and how best to catch them, and much more.
High Sierra Fishing, Basics to Advanced Tactics, Billy Van Loek. This is the book I go back to again and again to improve my fishing technique in the high Sierra.
Fly Fishing Trout Flies | Essential Flies for Trout | Hand-Tied Dry Flies, Nymphs, Streamers 32 of the most proven Trout flies, well-known for their timeless fish-catching effectiveness.
California's Best Fly Fishing: Premier Streams and Rivers from Northern California to the Eastern Sierra, Chip O'Brien. An up-to-date guidebook, complete with maps, detailed descriptions of fishing locations, analysis of the seasonal differences which affect fishing, and fly patterns.

Crane Creek

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Getting to Crane Creek

To reach Crane Creek in Foresta from Yosemite Valley, drive west to the Highway 120 junction and turn right onto it. Follow it 3.5 miles to the Foresta turnoff on your left. (Do not use the Foresta Bridge and Foresta Road on Highway 140 near El Portal).

Follow the Foresta Road down almost 2 miles to a Y. Take the right turn at the Y, heading toward the barns you will see at the edge of Big Meadow. Park there or along the shoulder of the road.

From the barns continue walking along the road past a private residence about 100 yards to an old bridge across Crane Creek. From there you can begin fishing your way up either bank. Walking up the western side of Crane Creek will take you through burned out forest and across a sooty landscape, but you will have the view of Big Meadow before you.

You can fish you way several miles up Crane Creek from Big Meadow and then reverse your direction and walk down the creek. An interesting side trip is down to Foresta Falls, about 1.3 miles downstream from the old bridge.

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Accommodations and Supplies

Lodging is available in Yosemite Valley at Yosemite Lodge, Camp Curry and the Ahwahnee Hotel. Prices are steep and you should make reservations early. Another option is the Wawona Hotel, located 4 miles inside the park's southern entrance. You can save money by staying outside the park in nearby El Portal where there are several large motels or outside the park on either Highways 41 or 120. You can rent vacation homes in the area, including some in Foresta.

Campgrounds are located all over Yosemite National Park, but finding an empty campsite is tough during peak season. About half of Yosemite National Park's campgrounds are on a reservation system. Reservations for them are essential from April through September. The popular first-come, first-serve campgrounds usually fill up by noon during busy times, but some of the lesser known ones along Tioga Road may have sites.

Privately owned Indian Flat Campground is located on Highway 140 outside the park. It has spaces for RVs and tents. Two small National Forest campgrounds (Dirt Flat and Dry Gulch) are located along the Merced River across the Foresta Bridge near El Portal.

California's Best Camping

For complete information about campgrounds around and in Yosemite, see

On your way to Fishing Yosemite on Crane Creek you can pick up fishing supplies at

Yosemite Village Sport Shop, Yosemite Valley
Curry Village Mountain Shop, Yosemite Valley
Pioneer Gift & Grocery, Wawona
Tuolumne Meadows Store
Sportsmen's Den, Highway 41, Oakhurst
Lucky Logger Liquors, 5188 No. Highway 49, Mariposa