Lake Crowley

About Lake Crowley

Crowley Lake is known for excellent trout fishing in the California High Sierras region, but since the Long Valley Dam was built in 1941, there have been few trout in the lake. After the new reservoir was filled with water, the trout planted by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife became an excellent trout fishery. Crowley Lake supplies Los Angeles with drinking water and feeds some of its most important aqueducts.

The newly filled lake reaches a depth of 114 feet and covers an area of 1.5 million square miles (3.2 million acres). The lake is managed as befits a lake of its size and charm, which is appreciated by a large number of visitors every year.

Lake Crowley, as it is also known, is strictly controlled because of its important water supply, which supplies millions of people. Access to the lake is controlled by concessionaries, but this does not mean that the lake is difficult to use. The lake was named after the desert padre Father Crowley, who was a member of the US Army Corps of Engineers and a pioneer in the development of water management.

A full service marina offers a variety of amenities, such as marinas, boat rentals and moored long term rentals. A facility called Crowley Lake Fish Camp is also available, as are a number of other facilities for fishing, boating, camping and other activities.

A fully equipped RV park is also available for rent, with fully equipped cabins for $1,000 per month. In the off-season, Crowley Lake is one of California's most popular fishing and boating destinations. Private ships can be inspected at launch for invasive species, a service that is offered free of charge from the boat ramp, as well as to the public.

Crowley Lake is officially open from late April to late October, but it welcomes visitors year-round, from kayaking, fishing, boating, kitesurfing and fishing. Crowley Lake is the best place to fish for trout, which can be caught in various sizes from small to medium-sized. Perch are a popular target for fishing and their young are the perfect prey for trout, which grow to excellent sizes.

The limit of the creel is two trout up to 18 cm in length, and there is a two-year trout season, where early summer fishing with bait is allowed.

At the end of July, only artificial baits and hooks are allowed, and fly fishing has always been popular, especially in various bays and reservoirs. When the trout were first filled in 1940, they were stored in the tank, where they grew exceptionally well. In summer, several trout fishing competitions were held on the lake.

In the meantime, an excellent trout fishery has developed, which is very popular with anglers. Several years of research have shown that trout fishing is a popular pastime in the Mammoth Lakes region, and good times and variety are available for an optimal fishing experience.

Although there are limited campsites right on Crowley Lake, there are many other camping and outdoor options in the area.

The Office of Land Management maintains a large number of campsites as well as a variety of hiking trails and rustic cottages with a range of amenities are available. Other campsites are also available in the Mammoth Lakes National Recreation Area, while cottages, resorts, camp beds and various amenities are available across the lake, such as Crowley Lodge and Campground at Crowley Lakes.

Several popular hiking trails lead to the southern end of Crowley Lake, including a difficult and technical mountain bike trail known as the Crowley Lake Mountain Bike Trail or Mammoth Lake Trail. The main path is crossed by other trails and connects with other trails in the Mammoth Lakes National Recreation Area as well as a number of other local trails.

The small town of Crowley Lake serves as the headquarters for recreational visitors to the area and houses a grocery store with ready meals and supplies. In the immediate vicinity you can go horseback riding, but there are limited accommodations in this area. Equipment providers offering training and horseback riding invite a small number of experienced riders, and a few private holiday rentals can be arranged.

Crowley Lake is home to ranchers and farmers from the Owens Valley who fought to protect their water rights. The Owens River began to drain in 1913, and natural Owens Lake dried up, and Crowley Lake was one of the last of its kind.

The water board tried to use the dry lake for water storage during the rainy season, with disastrous consequences. The Long Valley Dam was built to contain the water while normalizing the river. Despite the ensuing court battle, the need for a growing metropolis prevailed, leaving Owens Lake to blow alkaline dust that became a health hazard.

The LADWP flooded the dry bed of Owens Lake with enough water to minimize dust storms, and the problem seems to have been solved. In recent years, the force has said Crowley Lake's water is contaminated by nitrogen from agricultural runoff and is not safe. The water level of Crowley Lake does not change rapidly, but falls in late summer and rises in early spring. L ADWP no longer publishes water levels, so that concessionaires can easily provide information about water levels to anyone who wants to visit them.

Crowley Lake is coming, and you can see some of the best trout in the world at Crowley Lake, Owens Lake and other local lakes in California.

A map from the United States Geological Survey shows that Crowley Lake Watershed covers an area of about 2,500 square kilometers. The LADWP gave the catchment area, defined in 1947 as a square mile by the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Board, the same size as that used for the smaller catchments in the area.