Fishing at Pleasant Valley Reservoir, Inyo County, California

• Overview

  Pleasant Valley Reservoir lies in Inyo County, California. The country here is open dry country. With some 103 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. On our Inyo County list it sits near the top for size. For a base, West Bishop sits 6.2 miles out. The nearest city of size is Clovis, 76 miles away. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Pleasant Valley Reservoir

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Open biodiversity records for Inyo County list california golden trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. At Pleasant Valley Reservoir light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 75°F at the top of summer and 37°F at the bottom of winter. Winter is a mild inconvenience here, nothing more. The first and last hours carry the summer; the middle is slow. The hot months push the fishing to dawn and dusk. On Pleasant Valley Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Dorothy Lake, 9 miles out. Ask locally about Pleasant Valley Reservoir if anything is unclear.