Obelisk Lake in Mariposa County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Mariposa County, California, this is Obelisk Lake. Around the bank it is lake country bush. At roughly 14 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Supplies mean a trip to Yosemite Valley, 9.3 miles off. Mammoth Lakes is 25 miles away, with Ahwahnee at 29 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Obelisk Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Mariposa County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and Sacramento sucker among the fish reported. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Obelisk Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 24°F in February and 55°F in August. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Expect the water usable from around mid May until roughly late November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. The season on Obelisk Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Adair Lake at 1.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Rules at Obelisk Lake are worth checking on the day.