Fishing at Ashley Lake, Mono County, California

• Overview

  California holds Ashley Lake, in Mono County. Height above sea level is 9,577 feet. At 13 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is Mammoth Lakes, 10 miles away. Yosemite Valley is 25 miles away, with Oakhurst at 34 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Ashley Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. At Ashley Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 26°F to 57°F. Fishing continues through most of the calendar, with quiet spells rather than closures. It is not guaranteed even in a cold spell, so check yourself. April and May are the settled weeks, with October close behind. On Ashley Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Gertrude Lake sits 0.5 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Ashley Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.