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

• Overview

  Little Lake is one of the Inyo County waters in California. The surroundings are dry open country. At about 92 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. A shoreline of some 1.8 miles keeps the choices simple. It is among the larger waters listed here for Inyo County. Supplies mean a trip to Inyokern, 21 miles off. The nearest city of size is Bakersfield, 74 miles away. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Little Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Inyo County cover california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Little Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 81°F in July and bottoms out near 43°F in December. Temperatures stay workable through the cold season. October and November give a second good stretch as it cools. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Plan around that when you fish Little Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. South Haiwee Reservoir, 14 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Little Lake are worth checking on the day.