Edna Lake in Mariposa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Edna Lake belongs to Mariposa County, California. The surface lies 10,174 feet up. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Mariposa County list. Yosemite Valley at 13 miles is the nearest place to stop. Mammoth Lakes follows at 22 miles, then Oakhurst at 26 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Edna Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Mariposa County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Edna Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 54°F for August and 23°F for February. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Edna Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. The nearest alternative is Upper Ottoway Lake, 1.2 miles out. What applies at Edna Lake may have changed since it was mapped.