Muir Lake near Lone Pine: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Inyo County, Muir Lake is a California water. The country round it is mixed forest from end to end. It covers about 12 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. By elevation it is in the upper part of our California listings. For supplies, Lone Pine is 11 miles out. Visalia sits 62 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Muir Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Inyo County include california golden trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Muir Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 53°F on average, January about 21°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near late November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Muir Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Failing this one, try Cottonwood Lake Number Three, 0.7 miles away. The position on Muir Lake is worth confirming on the day.