Fishing Bench Lake in Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Look for Bench Lake in the Inyo County part of California. The bank is 10,922 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 6 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. The nearest town is Lone Pine, 20 miles away. The big place round here is Visalia, 60 miles distant. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Bench Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Bench Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 20°F in January to roughly 52°F in August. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. The season on Bench Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Matlock Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Bench Lake for certain.