Fishing Elinor Lake in Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Elinor Lake is one of the Inyo County listings for California. Height above sea level is 10,991 feet. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Inyo County. Some 12 miles away sits Big Pine, the nearest settlement. Further out sit West Bishop (18 miles) and Bishop (19 miles). This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Elinor Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Elinor Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 20°F in January and 52°F in August. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near mid November in autumn. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Elinor Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Failing this one, try Willow Lake, 1.2 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Elinor Lake for certain.