Grouse Lake near Yosemite Valley: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Grouse Lake lies within the bounds of Mariposa County, California. The bank gives way to farm and woodlot. The water measures roughly 4 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mariposa County list. Yosemite Valley is the closest town at 12 miles. Then Ahwahnee, 17 miles, and Oakhurst, 18 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Grouse Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Reported across Mariposa County: rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Treat Grouse Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 61°F, while February sits near 32°F. In milder years the surface never sets. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. Grouse Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Crescent Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Nothing on Grouse Lake should be assumed from this page alone.