Par Value Lakes in Mono County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Mono County, Par Value Lakes is a California water. The surface lies 10,302 feet up. At roughly 6 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. For supplies, Yosemite Valley is 27 miles out. Mammoth Lakes lies 36 miles off, Topaz Ranch Estates another 46 miles. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Par Value Lakes

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Species logged across Mono County include brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. On Par Value Lakes the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 55°F and January near 23°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about late November in a typical year. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Plan around that when you fish Par Value Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Bergona Lake is 0.4 miles off. Nothing here settles the position at Par Value Lakes for certain.