Flower Lake in Inyo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Flower Lake in Inyo County, California. The water sits 10,535 feet up. At 3 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. On size it sits at the modest end of our Inyo County list. The town to know is Lone Pine, 20 miles out. The big place round here is Visalia, 60 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Flower Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Inyo County list california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Flower Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 52°F in August and bottom out at 20°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Flower Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Gilbert Lake, 0.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Flower Lake locally before you travel.