Nelson Lake Fishing Guide, Mono County, California

• Overview

  Nelson Lake belongs to Mono County, California. The bank gives way to lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 15 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Start from Yosemite Valley, 12 miles down the road. The big place round here is Clovis, 70 miles distant. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Nelson Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Mono County cover brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, owens sucker and california golden trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Nelson Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 53°F and February near 23°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Nelson Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Reymann Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the position at Nelson Lake before loading the car.