Cirque Lake Fishing Guide, Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Set in Inyo County, California, this is Cirque Lake. It sits in pine and birch. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It sits higher than most water we list in California. The nearest town is Lone Pine, 12 miles away. The big place round here is Visalia, 60 miles distant. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Cirque Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Inyo County list california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Cirque Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and August at about 53°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually goes in early June, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, early June opens the water and late November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Cirque Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Long Lake is 0.8 miles distant. None of that is settled for Cirque Lake in what we hold.