Ottoway Lakes, California: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Ottoway Lakes is one of the Mariposa County waters in California. The ground round it is open valley. Head to Yosemite Valley, 11 miles away, for anything you forgot. Mammoth Lakes lies 24 miles off, Oakhurst another 25 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water. A short walk from the parking spot changes the water completely.

• Where to Fish on Ottoway Lakes

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Mariposa County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Ottoway Lakes where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 56°F on average, February about 26°F. Mild ends to the year keep the season long. Cover comes and goes, so treat it with suspicion rather than trust. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Expect Ottoway Lakes to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Upper Ottoway Lake, 0.8 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Ottoway Lakes for certain.