Lost Keys Lakes near Mammoth Lakes: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Lost Keys Lakes lies in Mono County, California. The country round it is rolling hill from end to end. The water measures roughly 5 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. You are 9.4 miles from Mammoth Lakes. For a city, Clovis is 61 miles off. Others close at hand: Scoop Lake within 0.9 miles, Bench Lakes near enough 1 mile, Sharktooth Lake within 1.6 miles, Marsh Lake near enough 1.9 miles and Reef Lake within 2.2 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lost Keys Lakes

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. County-wide records name brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. Anyone new to Lost Keys Lakes should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 58°F in August and bottoms out near 27°F in February. Most months fish reasonably, given the right weather. In milder years the edges alone go, and the middle never sets. Autumn steadies things again once the heat lets go. Plan any trip to Lost Keys Lakes around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Scoop Lake, 0.9 miles out. None of that is settled for Lost Keys Lakes in what we hold.