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Upper Merced River
Directions: From the town of Merced on Hwy 99, drive 45 miles northeast on Highway 140 to the town of Briceburg. Continuing north the river parallels the highway into Yosemite National Park. | ||
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Notes:
From the South Fork confluence to Yosemite Valley the Upper Merced river has more pocket water and riffles and becomes more suitable for fly fishing. Indian Flat Campground gets a heavy fishing pressure due to trout planting. Upstream from Foresta Bridge to the Yosemite NP Border, it is open year-round with a 5 trout limit and no gear restrictions from the last Saturday of April to Nov. 15th. The rest of the year is catch & release only using artificial lures with barbless hooks. This is a Wild Trout area with Browns and Rainbows in the 8-12 inch class. Most of this section is pocket water, riffles and rapids, with few pools. A salmonfly hatch begins within this area in April but the high water makes fishing difficult. Wading is possible starting in mid-June and nymphing can be your best method as the water warms up and the fish stay low. Most of this area is a rafting area which ceases around the end of June. Before the snow melt, the fishing is good in February and March, then try again starting in July after the snowmelt. Below the Foresta Bridge the season is also year-round, with a limit of 5 trout from the last Saturday of April to November 15th. The rest of the period is a 0 trout limit. Below the South Fork confluence there is a good population of smallmouth bass. These smallies will hit the leech and bugger patterns. Park RegulationsWithin the Park, the season for the Merced is last Saturday in April to November 15th with a limit of 5 Trout and no gear restrictions. From Nov. 16th through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, it is catch & release only using artificial lures with barbless hooks. The best areas are the Gorge, just below the valley. This is pocket water with Rainbows and Browns, 8-12 inches and a few up to 14 inches. Due to snowmelt, it is not fishable until July when the Caddis and Mayfly hatches come off. Flow measurements are taken at Pohono Bridge within the Park. Safe wading flows are usually less than 200 cfs. Major hatches are the PMD starting in June and extending until the end of September. Caddis are also prevalent. During late February to March BWO, Baetis, and Golden Stones are evident. Stoneflies will emerge during April and May. June is a good time for hopper patterns. Ants work throughout the summer. The river gets a lot of river rafting activity during the spring and early summer months. Wading can also be very risky during the Spring run-off period. Most use a 5-6 weight rod with a 9 foot 3X leader and 4-8 feet of 3X-5X tippet. The best dry fly condition is during the late fall using size 16-18 flies. During mid-spring, deep nymphing is your best bet. You must weight the line about 4 feet above a weighted nymph. | ||
Fishing RegulationsMerced River from the Happy Isles footbridge downstream to the western boundary of Yosemite National Park at El Portal.: From the last Saturday in April through November 15, 5 trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water. Merced River from the western boundary of Yosemite Valley National Park at El Portal downstream to Foresta bridge.: From the last Saturday in April through November 15, 5 trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water. Merced River from Foresta bridge downstream to Lake McClure.: From the last Saturday in April through November 15, 5 trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water. Other Rivers and Streams: From the last Saturday in April through November 15, 5 trout daily bag limit, 10 trout in possession; and, from November 16 through the Friday preceding the last Saturday in April, 0 trout bag limit, artificial lures with barbless hooks only and trout must be released unharmed and not removed from the water. Lakes within this area: Open all year. No restrictions. 5 trout per day. 10 trout in possession.
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