Big Moccasin Lake Fishing near West Bishop, California

• Overview

  Big Moccasin Lake belongs to Inyo County, California. It lies 11,083 feet above sea level. It covers about 9 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. It is high ground by California standards. Head to West Bishop, 20 miles away, for anything you forgot. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 58 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Big Moccasin Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Open biodiversity records for Inyo County list california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. The near bank of Big Moccasin Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 50°F in August and bottom out at 19°F in January. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. The lid usually goes in mid June, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near mid June and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Big Moccasin Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Little Moccasin Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. For Big Moccasin Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.