Little French Lake in Inyo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little French Lake is one of the Inyo County listings for California. The ground round it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Most waters listed here for Inyo County are larger. For supplies, West Bishop is 15 miles out. It is 64 miles to Clovis, the nearest city. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Little French Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Inyo County list california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. Little French Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 50°F, with January the cold end at about 18°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid June. On average, mid June opens the water and mid November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. At Little French Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lower Petite Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. What applies at Little French Lake may have changed since it was mapped.