Bighorn Lake in Mono County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In California, Bighorn Lake belongs to Mono County. The surroundings are mixed forest. At 7 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It sits higher than most water we list in California. Supplies mean a trip to Mammoth Lakes, 9.7 miles off. West Bishop is 26 miles and Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek 27 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bighorn Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Open biodiversity records for Mono County list brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Bighorn Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 20°F in February and 52°F in August. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly early June. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Bighorn Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. 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. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lake Wit-So-Nah-Pah is 0.4 miles off. For Bighorn Lake in particular, ask before you travel.