Can I fish in the Merced?
Rick writes in:
“Going up for my second time and staying at house keeping for the first…. Is fishing in the merced allowed? are there fish? Just curious, friend wants to take gear and I dont want to lug it around for naught.”
Actually fishing in the Merced is allowed and you’d think, for the amount of people visiting the park, that there’d be more fishing pressure in the valley but that seems to hold true for mostly the higher elevations.
The Merced in Yosemite opened the last saturday in April but a current California Sport Fishing License is required. No special tags, just the regular CA license.
Runoff is really high right now so now isn’t the best time to fish but in a month or so it should have slowed down a bit. The water is clear, and very cold.
You can read all the rules and regulations by visiting the California Department of Fish and Game website or by downloading the PDF. Just scroll down to the name of the water you want to fish in.
Any fishing questions you have try giving Bob Nakagawa a call at Sierra Anglers Fly Shop in Modesto. He can be reached at (209) 572-2212.
For over 30 years now I've enjoyed hiking, backpacking, fishing, photographing and exploring Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada. 
