Silver Creek - Ebbets Pass Highway 4, CA

Silver Creek, proximate to Ebbetts Pass along Highway 4 in California, constitutes a pristine high-elevation freestone trout fishery. This lotic system, distinguished by its clear, cold waters and diverse hydraulic features, supports populations of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Brown Trout (Salmo trutta), and Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), with wild strains predominating in its less accessible reaches.

Fly fishing is the preeminent and most efficacious angling methodology. Nymphing with imitative patterns (e.g., Prince Nymph, Copper John, caddis, stonefly) is consistently productive in its turbulent pocket water and runs. Opportunistic dry fly presentations during active entomological hatches (e.g., Parachute Adams, Elk Hair Caddis, terrestrials) demand precise, drag-free drifts in gin-clear conditions. Spin anglers may achieve limited success with diminutive artificial lures. Anglers are unequivocally mandated to consult current California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) regulations, as specific segments may impose seasonal closures (e.g., upstream from Lake Alpine for spawning protection) or "artificial lures and flies only" provisions, integral to the conservation of this sensitive alpine resource. Optimal fishing periods span from late spring through autumn, post-snowmelt.