Paoha Lake in Inyo County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Paoha Lake in the Inyo County part of California. Elevation runs to 11,040 feet. This is a tiny water, and one quiet approach covers all of it. Our Inyo County list holds plenty of bigger water. You are 20 miles from West Bishop. For a city, Clovis is 58 miles off. Not far off: Negit Lake (0.1 miles), Council Lake 0.2 miles off, Jawbone Lake (0.4 miles), Big Moccasin Lake 0.6 miles off and Little Moccasin Lake (0.7 miles). No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Paoha Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. 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. Across Inyo County, recorded fish include california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. On Paoha Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in January to roughly 50°F in August. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid June. Climate averages put the opening at about mid June and the closing near mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Paoha Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Negit Lake at 0.1 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Paoha Lake may have changed since it was mapped.