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

• Overview

  Fourth Lake is one of the Inyo County waters in California. The bank is 10,745 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. Nearest town is Big Pine, 12 miles off. Clovis is the closest city, 70 miles away. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Fourth Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Fish documented in Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Read Fourth Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 50°F for August and 19°F for February. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. After mid June the shallows warm and the fish move up. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid June until roughly mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Fourth Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. A campsite lies 140 yards away for anyone staying over. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Summit Lake sits 0.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Fourth Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.