Fishing Minnie Lake in Mono County, California

• Overview

  Minnie Lake sits in Mono County, out in California. The land about it is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest town is Mammoth Lakes, 13 miles off. Clovis sits 59 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Minnie Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Mono County: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Minnie Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 53°F at the top of summer and 23°F at the bottom of winter. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Ice-out usually falls in late May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late May and starts locking again about late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Minnie Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Anne Lake, 0.4 miles away. Treat Minnie Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.