Cottonwood Lake Number Six, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Cottonwood Lake Number Six is one of the Inyo County listings for California. This is pine and birch country. At roughly 6 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. You are 11 miles from Lone Pine. Beyond it, Three Rivers at 38 miles and Big Pine at 45 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lake Number Six

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Cottonwood Lake Number Six gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 22°F in January up to 55°F in August. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late May. On average, late May opens the water and late November closes it again. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. It sets the rhythm of the year at Cottonwood Lake Number Six.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. The nearest alternative is Cottonwood Lake Number Five, 0.7 miles out. Nothing here settles the position at Cottonwood Lake Number Six for certain.