Fishing at Finger Lake, Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Out in Inyo County, California, sits Finger Lake. It sits at 10,863 feet above sea level. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It sits higher than most water we list in California. Big Pine is the closest place, 11 miles off. The big place round here is Visalia, 70 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Finger Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Across Inyo County, recorded fish include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Finger Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 52°F, the coldest about 20°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Look for the thaw near early June; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around early June and the freeze near mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Finger Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Brainerd Lake, 0.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Nothing here settles the position at Finger Lake for certain.