Desolation Lake Fishing Guide, Inyo County, California

• Overview

  In California, Desolation Lake belongs to Inyo County. It stands 11,404 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 215 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. The full circuit measures close to 2.5 miles on foot. Few waters listed in Inyo County are bigger. West Bishop lies 15 miles from the water. For a city, Clovis is 63 miles off. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Desolation Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Survey and observation records for Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Desolation Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 18°F and August at about 50°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Hard water is a season in its own right here. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid June. The open-water window runs from around mid June to about mid November in an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Desolation Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Wedge Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position at Desolation Lake before loading the car.