Arrowhead Lake near Mammoth Lakes: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Arrowhead Lake sits in Mono County, out in California. This is lake country bush country. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Nearest place of any size is Mammoth Lakes, 4.5 miles away. It is 66 miles to Clovis, the nearest city. Neighbouring water: Heart Lake roughly 0.4 miles, Emerald Lake 0.5 miles away, Skelton Lake roughly 0.5 miles, Way Lake 1 mile away and Hammil Lake roughly 1.2 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Arrowhead Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The near bank of Arrowhead Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 53°F and February about 22°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early June. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near late November: that is the shape of an average year. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Expect Arrowhead Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Parking sits half a mile out, which makes for a walk with tackle. Facilities include toilets around half a mile from here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Heart Lake is 0.4 miles distant. Treat Arrowhead Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.