BY ERNIE COWAN
MAMMOTH LAKES — Eastern Sierra trout anglers will soon benefit from the effects of a long-awaited perfect storm.
This is not a weather event, but efforts that have finally come together in the right way to rebuild and maintain the reputation of Crowley Lake and its tributaries as a world class trout destination.
Just like the perfect storm that brings tons of snow to the high country, this event brings trout anglers, local leaders, guides, DFW and trout industry representatives together to create a lasting impact for both the angling community and the local economy that depends so much on the dollars spent by visitors looking to catch fish.
After years of discussion, ideas and efforts, the Crowley Fish Foundation has become a reality that will launch trout season this year with the purchase of $10,000 of trophy rainbows to be stocked in Crowley Lake the second week of May.
It’s a storm whose time has come.
WON had a nice conversation with Chris Leonard, a local history and social science teacher at Mammoth High School, and part-time fishing guide who serves as CFF Board Secretary.
The impressive CFF board includes a lot of well-known individuals associated with trout angling, including President Joe Contaldi, a local fly-fishing guide; fishing advocate Danny Corral, vice president; Treasurer Hodges Glass, a youth fishing advocate; Jarett Coons, youth events and Bishop Tribe liaison; avid anglers Carl Laski and Christoper Meyers; fly-fishing guides Ernie Gulley and Andre Nersesian; and attorney Michael C. Tu.
Crowley has also rounded up some of the best advisors they could find, including legendary Troutman Tim Alpers, DFW Science Advisor Nick Buckmaster, trout guide Seth Cline, fishing industry liaison Luke Kinney, land use and project management expert Michael Lueders, lure maker Matt Rodrigues, freshwater ecologist Emily Martin, bookkeeper Salina Barcelo, video and media producers Philip Nguyen and Pedro Cecena, webmaster Ryan Heavican, and tax advisor Scott Luke.
Leonard said the angling community has recognized for a long time that fish numbers were dropping and “the good days on Crowley were on decline.” He gave credit to guide Gulley for documenting the decline.
In 2022, The Sheet, a local publication even did a story where local guides, including Gulley and Leonard expressed concern over reduced fish numbers at Crowley.
Fish stocking by California Department of Fish and Wildlife had reduced from 457,398 in 2019 to only 294,705 in 2021.
Creel checks done by DFW Biologist Buckmaster were grim and Leonard credits the efforts of DFW with increased stocking that did result in an uptick in the number of trout being caught.
COVID, angling pressure and even disease out brakes at local hatcheries all contributed to the slow decline.
“For years, Crowley was treated like an infinite resource and eventually angler pressure caught up with it. At the end of the day, it’s fishing pressure and someone had to start a fish foundation,” Leonard said.
There was a good model, just a hundred miles to the north, where the Bridgeport Fish Enhancement Foundation has raised over $1.5 million in 21 years.
A Facebook post asking if there was any interest in starting a foundation at Crowley Lake brought a lot of interest and in 2024 the fledgling group launched a Go Fune Me effort to raise fund to host the first event to take Marine Corps veterans fishing.
Teaching kids to fish was also an important early goal and soon the new foundation connected with the local Paiute Tribe for youth fishing programs.
“People were just coming from everywhere to help, including donations, offers for legal and technical help and we decided to become real,” Leonard said.
Interest in support continued to grow and Crowley Fish Foundation became an approved non-profit organization last year with an impressive board of directors and advisory board, all with no paid employees.
“It’s insane how fast we have grown in just two years,” Leonard said.
And it’s just the beginning.Communities around Crowley Lake realize how important this prime fishing destination is to the local economy.
“Fishing is a huge tourism draw, so you don’t need to be an angler to know how important Crowley is,” Leonard said.
At about 38,400 surface acres, Crowley Lake is the largest water in the Eastern Sierra and a prime destination for opening day anglers as well as throughout the season that runs from the last Saturday of April through Nov. 15.
Leonard sees CFF efforts to focus on getting more support from local merchants, the fishing industry and angling clubs to expand the work of supporting Crowley Lake. Primary goals will be to maintain healthy trout number in the lake, but also conducting conservation programs, promoting sustainable fishing practices, river and local lake clean-up days, youth fishing programs including a Kid’s Fishing Festival at the Snow Creek Ponds in Mammoth Lakes on July 25.
To follow foundation activities or donate, visit crowleyfishfoundation.org
