Izaak Walton Lake, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Mono County, California. It stands 10,276 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. Mammoth Lakes is the closest place, 12 miles off. Beyond it, West Bishop at 26 miles and Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek at 27 miles. Close neighbours run: Cotton Lake at 0.4 miles, Mace Lake about 0.5 miles, Tully Lake at 0.9 miles, Hortense Lake about 1 mile and Warrior Lake at 1.2 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Izaak Walton Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Mono County list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Izaak Walton Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 52°F on average, February about 21°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. From about early June to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Izaak Walton Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Cotton Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Izaak Walton Lake may have changed since it was mapped.