Clarice Lake Fishing near Mammoth Lakes, California

• Overview

  The Mono County entry here is Clarice Lake, in California. The setting is mixed forest. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Mono County. You are 10 miles from Mammoth Lakes. After that come Yosemite Valley at 24 miles and Oakhurst at 38 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Clarice Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Treat Clarice Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 54°F, the coldest about 23°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The lid tends to go about late May and return around late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It sets the rhythm of the year at Clarice Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Failing this one, try Laura Lake, 0.3 miles away. Treat Clarice Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.