Ems Pond in Inyo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Inyo County, California, this is Ems Pond. It sits at 8,386 feet above sea level. It is pond-in-a-field scale, with the far bank a short lob away. Our Inyo County list holds plenty of bigger water. The town to know is West Bishop, 11 miles out. Clovis is the closest city, 69 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Ems Pond

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Ems Pond repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 54°F at the top of summer and 22°F at the bottom of winter. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near late November in autumn. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Ems Pond runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. North Lake at 2.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Ems Pond carry more weight than any list.