Fishing Reds Lake in Mono County, California

• Overview

  Set in Mono County, California, this is Reds Lake. The surface lies 9,314 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 3 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Mono County list. The closest town, Mammoth Lakes, is 4.7 miles distant. Clovis is the closest city, 66 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Reds Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Mono County cover brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and owens sucker. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Reds Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 57°F in August and bottom out at 26°F in February. The season stretches long at both ends here. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. February into May fishes hardest as the water warms. The season on Reds Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Sotcher Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Reds Lake in particular, ask before you travel.