Blue Lake Fishing in Mono County, California

• Overview

  Out in Mono County, California, sits Blue Lake. Elevation runs to 10,535 feet. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. Nearest place of any size is Yosemite Valley, 17 miles away. Clovis is the closest city, 63 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Blue Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Fish Blue Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 51°F in August and bottoms out near 20°F in February. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Winter locks it down, and mid June brings it back. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid June until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Blue Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Rockbound Lake, 0.7 miles out. For Blue Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.