Helen Lake Fishing near West Bishop, California

• Overview

  Helen Lake stands in Inyo County, California. Elevation runs to 11,608 feet. With some 75 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 1.1 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It ranks high for size among our Inyo County listings. Nearest place of any size is West Bishop, 20 miles away. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 61 miles away. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Helen Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Inyo County, recorded fish include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Helen Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 19°F to 50°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid June. Break-up near mid June, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. The season on Helen Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Lake McDermand is 0.9 miles distant. For Helen Lake in particular, ask before you travel.