FIELD REPORT
Wolf Creek
By Mikey Wier
On the way back from a staff meeting in Mammoth Lakes this September I decided to stop by Wolf Creek off Hwy 108 to take some photos and video of a meadow CalTrout is helping restore as part of our Sierra Headwaters Initiative. Wolf Creek is a tributary to the West Walker River flowing in from the north and a sister stream to Silver Creek. Both Silver and Wolf Creek are restoration sites for native Walker River Basin Lahontan cutthroat trout.
When I was a kid, both these creeks were full of wild brook trout. At the time, the native strain of Walker River LCT were thought to be extinct. In the 1980s a remnant population of LCT was found in a small tributary and in the 90s and 2000s work started to expand habitat for these endangered native fish. Wolf was the first to be treated starting in the mid 2000s. Brook trout were mechanically removed and replaced with this native strain of Lahontan cutthroat trout by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. The process took a few summers during which the creek was closed to fishing. About four years into the process, brook trout somehow managed to slip back into the system above the barriers. The creek was treated again and finally reopened to fishing after several years of being closed.
The season is short on Wolf Creek and only lasts from August 1 to November 15. The creek was low but there were plenty of nice little LCT in each pool where there was sufficient depth and cover. It’s hard to imagine fish living through the winter in these high elevation creeks given the flows these past few years, but somehow they manage. If I crept up slow and stayed low I’d get a chance to watch or film several small but brilliantly beautiful wild cutties. Some pools held only one fish and others held up to five or six. All the fish were very skittish and bolted if you got too close or cast a shadow on the pool. I didn’t bother fishing and spent the afternoon collecting some photos and footage for a Sierra Headwaters video. Patience paid off and I was even able to grab a couple underwater shots.
Silver Creek is currently in the third summer of going through the process of removing invasive brook trout to expand habitat for native LCT. It remains closed to fishing until a stable population has taken hold. CalTrout is also conducting restoration work in upper Wolf Creek meadow along with several other meadows in the area including Pickle, Upper and Lower Sardine, and Cloudburst with partners including the US Forest Service and others.
Wolf Creek is near the Marine Corps base off Hwy 108 and the marines stationed there often use the area for training. It’s not uncommon to see buggies, quads and large trucks buzzing by on the road or hear gunshots during training exercises. The Marines even have a private ski lift tucked up in the hills. While I was out on the creek a large helicopter flew over several times making passes through the canyon and right over the meadow.
As the sun fell down over the hill and the temperature began to drop, I hopped in the truck and rattled my way down the long dirt road back toward the highway. The aspens were starting to change and that cold crisp air seeped through my cracked windows. I felt like I’d had a good conversation with an old friend even though I hadn’t said a word all day. Fall in the Eastern Sierra is magical.