Grinnell Lake Fishing near Mammoth Lakes, California

• Overview

  You will find Grinnell Lake in Mono County, California. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Around 82 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Roughly 2.6 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. Few waters listed in Mono County are bigger. Supplies mean a trip to Mammoth Lakes, 14 miles off. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 65 miles away. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Grinnell Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Mono County records list brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Fish Grinnell Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 52°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Break-up near early June, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Grinnell Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Laurel Lake, 0.6 miles away. Confirm access to Grinnell Lake locally before you travel.