Birchim Lake Fishing Guide, Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Birchim Lake belongs to Inyo County, California. It sits at 10,325 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Inyo County. West Bishop is the closest town at 16 miles. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 64 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Birchim Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Fish documented in Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Read Birchim Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in February to roughly 53°F in August. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late May. Averages place the thaw at late May and the freeze at late November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Anyone fishing Birchim Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Upper Pine Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For Birchim Lake in particular, ask before you travel.