Bench Lake in Inyo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Within Inyo County, California, you have Bench Lake. The surface lies 10,558 feet up. At about 84 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Around 1.6 miles of margin, front to back. Size puts it in the front rank of our Inyo County list. For a base, Big Pine sits 18 miles out. Beyond it, West Bishop at 29 miles and Bishop at 29 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bench Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Reported across Inyo County: california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Bench Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 19°F and August at about 51°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually mid June. The open-water window runs from around mid June to about mid November in an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Plan around that when you fish Bench Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Lake Marjorie, 1.8 miles out. For Bench Lake in particular, ask before you travel.