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

• Overview

  Set in Inyo County, High Lake is a California water. The setting is mixed forest. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It is high ground by California standards. Supplies mean a trip to Lone Pine, 12 miles off. The nearest city of size is Visalia, 60 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on High Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. High Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 53°F at the top of summer and 21°F at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early June. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near late November in autumn. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. The season on High Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Long Lake, 0.4 miles away. None of that is settled for High Lake in what we hold.