Matthes Lake Fishing near Yosemite Valley, California

• Overview

  Look for Matthes Lake in the Mariposa County part of California. It stands 9,662 feet above sea level. It covers about 11 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The nearest town is Yosemite Valley, 11 miles away. Then Mammoth Lakes, 26 miles, and Midpines, 34 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Matthes Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Mariposa County list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and Sacramento sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Take Matthes Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 53°F, the coldest about 23°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Matthes Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Echo Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Matthes Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.