Elizabeth Lake Fishing in Mono County, California

• Overview

  This water sits in Mono County, California. The water sits 9,511 feet up. It measures about 25 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. You are 13 miles from Yosemite Valley. The big place round here is Clovis, 73 miles distant. Alternatives close at hand: Budd Lake at 1.4 miles, Reymann Lake within 1.8 miles, Nelson Lake at 2.5 miles, Matthes Lake within 2.9 miles and Echo Lake at 2.9 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Elizabeth Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Elizabeth Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 24°F to 54°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. The lid tends to go about mid May and return around late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. That is the shape of the year on Elizabeth Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Budd Lake, 1.4 miles out. Signs at Elizabeth Lake carry more weight than any list.