Mack Lake, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Mack Lake stands in Inyo County, California. The setting is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. West Bishop sits 17 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Dixon Lane-Meadow Creek, 19 miles, and Mammoth Lakes, 20 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Mack Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Public occurrence data for Inyo County names california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Take Mack Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 20°F in February and 50°F in August. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid June. The season between ice runs from about mid June to mid November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan around that when you fish Mack Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Recorded parking is half a mile off, far enough to travel light. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There are toilets mapped about half a mile away. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Marsh Lake, 0.4 miles out. Confirm access to Mack Lake locally before you travel.